Shanghai is expected to be the most popular domestic tourist destination during the coming seven-day National Day holiday, as tourists flood into the city to visit the Expo 2010 Shanghai in its last month.
The National Tourism Administration has forecast that 210 million tourists will travel domestically during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays.
Zhu Chengrong, a senior official with the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, predicted that the city will receive more than 8 million tourists during the National Day holiday, which starts on Oct 1, up about 40 percent from last year, according to a report by China Tourism News.
"There is no doubt that Shanghai will be the most popular destination during this year's National Day holiday," said Mao Weihai, a department manager of Shanghai Business Holiday Travel Service Company.
He said his company has been receiving at least 2,000 tourists heading for Shanghai every day in the past few months, and the number will "surge for sure during the holiday."
Mao said the traditionally hot tourist destinations during the National Day holiday, such as Southwest China's Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, might have fewer visitors this year.
The growing tourism market in Shanghai has helped stimulate the markets in neighboring places such as Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Mao said most travel agencies are expecting to see their profits in these lines at least double this year.
However, as tourists flood into Shanghai, local residents have found overseas travel lines a good alternative to avoid the swarm of people. Europe, Southeast Asia and Japan are popular as usual, and Turkey and Egypt have seen growing popularity among tourists this year.
"I started planning my National Day holiday trip to Jeju Island in South Korea almost one month in advance. But the competition for a reservation with a travel agency is really intense," said a purchasing agent surnamed Wan working with a US-funded furniture company in Shanghai.
Mao from Shanghai Business Holiday Travel Service said because more travelers are expected to make trips during the coming holiday, the prices for almost all domestic travel lines have increased by an average of 20 percent from last year.
Questions:
1. What city is expected to be the most popular domestic tourist destination during the National Day holiday?
2. How many visitors are expected?
3. What regions will also benefit?
Answers:
1. Shanghai, as tourists flood into the city to visit the Expo 2010 Shanghai in its last month.
2. The National Tourism Administration has forecast that 210 million tourists will travel domestically during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays.
3. The growing tourism market in Shanghai has helped stimulate the markets in neighboring places such as Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
(中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑)
About the broadcaster:
Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is fluent in Korean and has a 2-year-old son.