Prices of overseas package tours during the Spring Festival have risen by 5 to 20 percent this year over the same period last year, yesterday's Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

Up to 70 percent of the seats in overseas tour groups organized by China International Travel Service Shenzhen branch have been booked, said Peng Yali, vice general director of the company's overseas tours department.

More than 90 percent of the package tours to Europe have been booked while three tour groups to South America, offered by the travel service for the first time, were fully booked by New Year's Day.

Tours to Australia on chartered planes offered by China Travel Service Bao'an branch were also popular with all the vacancies expected to be fully booked in two weeks.

China Travel Service of Overseas Chinese Town has announced tours to Jordan and Israel after offering tours to Egypt, Turkey and India.

(Shenzhen Daily January 8, 2008)