Holiday records a new high in tourist trips and tourism-related spending

The just-concluded Spring Festival holiday, from Feb 15 to Monday, registered a new high both in the number of tourist trips and tourism-related spending.

Latest figures unveiled by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Tuesday showed that during the nine-day break, domestic tourism attractions received about 596 million visits. The number increased by 95 million from the previous Spring Festival holiday that lasted eight days.

The ministry said that tourism-related spending totaled about 803.5 billion yuan ($116.8 billion) over the holiday, up by about 12.65 billion yuan from the previous holiday of the kind.

Destinations with strong festive vibes or highlighting performances of intangible heritages were popular among travelers, according to the ministry. Local authorities launched cultural exhibitions and events to enrich people's experiences over the holiday.

Also, tourism consumption coupons by local authorities were available to the public during the holiday. Chongqing, in Southwest China, organized over 1,300 cultural and tourism events and gave travel subsidies totaling 50 million yuan to local residents.