HOLIDAY tourism in China is still a big money spinner, as was proved by this year’s National Day holiday week from October 1-7.

　　During this “Golden Week,” combined income from entrance tickets alone at 100 major tourist spots nationwide hit 379.43 million yuan (US$45.9 million), 20.9 percent higher than the same period last year.

　　The 100 places of interests, such as the Great Wall in Beijing, Mount Tai in East China’s Shandong Province, and Potala Palace in the Tibet Autonomous Region, hosted a total of 11.67 million tourists, an increase of 5.7 percent over last year, according to a report issued Monday by the National Holiday Affairs Office under the China National Tourism Administration.

　　People’s enthusiasm for sightseeing seemed to be cooler, however, and tourism was not the top entertainment during the holidays.

　　A recent survey by Chinese website sina.com showed that only 14.8 percent of some 71,000 respondents said they would go on a tour over the holidays, while about 56 per cent said they would rather rest at home. Another 30 percent of respondents said they would work or were undecided.

　　Unmanageable crowds and poor services prevalent at some tourist spots and travel agencies were the main reasons for less interest in tourism, although tourism authorities had promised service with “safety, order and efficiency.”

　　The National Holiday Affairs Office received about 140 customer complaints during the holiday week, most of which reflected problems with poor service.

　　The “Golden Week” holiday economy has generated 152.5 billion yuan in tourism revenue over the past three years. As part of the service sector, the holiday economy cannot mature while the country’s service industry stays mired at such a low level, experts say.

　　(SD-Agencies)