By Wang Ying (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-11-02 09:20

Tourism authorities are considering a plan to revise the existing Golden Week holiday system in response to growing calls for more frequent, shorter breaks throughout the year.

People flock into a railway station in Hefei, east China's Anhui province October 6, 2007. [Agencies]

Officials have said whatever is agreed, the new system will incorporate key annual events, such as the Dragon Boat (Duanwu) Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.

Many people believe the holiday system should include more traditional festivals.

A recent online poll by sina.com collected more than 168,000 responses and found more than 53 percent of people were in favor of scrapping the Golden Week holidays. About 40 percent objected to the idea.

Similarly, a survey by Ctrip Travel Network conducted earlier this month, found 64 percent of the 2,200 people polled were in favor of changes to the Golden Week system.

Fifty percent said they wanted to cancel or modify the Labor Day and National Day breaks, but retain the Spring Festival week.

China has three Golden Weeks throughout the year: Spring Festival, Labor Day and National Day.

The current system was introduced in 1999 to boost domestic consumption.

During last month's National Day holidays, 146 million people traveled within China generating 64.2 billion yuan ($8.6 billion) in tourism revenue.

However, experts have said the level of expenditure is less to do with the length of the holiday and more about people now having greater disposable incomes.

If spending during the long holidays increases, it is likely expenditure in the rest of the year will fall, they said, as most people have a fairly stable annual income-expenditure ratio.

"During the Golden Weeks, I have lots of time but am never in the mood to do anything because everywhere is overcrowded. The holidays put a strain on the transportation system, scenic spots and the service sector. If I was able to choose my own holidays it would be perfect."  -- Gu Xiaojie, a civil servant from Shanghai

"The mandatory holidays give me a chance to travel away from the city to see my parents in my hometown in southern China. I have worked in Beijing for eight years but never had a paid leave. National rules say we can take unpaid leave but if the boss says no, there is nothing we can do."  -- Wu Bing, a worker from Beijing

"Workers need to take holidays to get away from the pressures of work and to stop them from becoming ill, either mentally or physically.

"In addition to laws that make paid leave a right for people, there should be more guidance to help people make better use of their time off instead of just sightseeing. If people get a proper rest it is good for them and the whole of society."  -- Ding Aiding, manager of a tourism company in Beijing

"Encouraging paid leave is a trend and also a symbol of social progress. A paid leave system meets the increasing demand for personalized services and can help achieve full and rational use of social resources and promote healthy economic and social development."  -- Yang Zhonghong, a professor with Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology