The number of trips taken by Shanghai's rural residents and the amount spent on each excursion have jumped dramatically in the past three years, thanks to growing suburban incomes.

Three-quarters of Shanghai’s 3.6 million rural citizens went on a tour in 2004, up from 45 percent in 2001, the Shanghai Statistics Bureau reported yesterday.

During their journeys, they spent 340 yuan (US$41) a person, up 75 percent from three years ago.

Most of trips by suburban families took place during the year's three weeklong holidays: Spring Festival, Labor Day and the National Day -- new peaks that have replaced the summer as the prime time for getting out of town.

"Many rural residents choose travel and shopping packages because the vendors organized lots of promotional activities to attract consumers during the golden weeks," said Li Qiong, who was in charge of the study.

The travel destinations of the rural residents have also changed. The number of provinces visited increased from 10 in 2001 to the current 13. Well known scenic areas such as Hainan, Beijing and Yunnan become popular among them.

(Shanghai Daily March 21, 2005)