FARES for overseas tours during the National Day holidays have risen by an average of 10 percent compared with the 30 percent surge during holiday seasons in past years.

　　Travel agencies had to slash the price hikes for the “Golden Week” with competition from more travel agencies approved to operate overseas tours, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily said.

　　Tens of millions of people throughout the country are expected to hit the road during the holiday week.

　　A seven-day trip to Japan during the holidays was priced at HK$9,000, a six percent rise from the HK$8,500 pre-holiday price.

　　The Daily also found only a six percent increase for an eight-day trip to Nepal, and an HK$80 rise for a five-day tour to Indonesia, priced at HK$4,230 for the seven-day vacation.

　　The highest price hike found by the newspaper was 15 percent for a four-day cruise to Vietnam rising to HK$3,780 during the holidays.

　　Competition has been heating up in the travel sector this year with an increasing number of new agencies igniting a price war.

　　The price for most Japan tours has been slashed to HK$6,000 from HK$10,000 at the beginning of the year.

　　(Lao Lin)