China's tourism sector projected to see surge bolstered by May Day holiday travels

China's tourism sector is expected to see another surge following the market boom brought by the Qingming Festival earlier this month, as data show that a nationwide May Day holiday travel rush is already around the corner.

Ahead of this year's May Day holiday, which runs from May 1 to 5, train and flight tickets to many popular domestic tourist attractions have already been fully booked.

Based on the data of visas, popular overseas destinations for the five-day holiday are Japan, South Korea, Australia, Vietnam, Canada and New Zealand.

In terms of inbound travels, statistics from several travel service platforms have shown that the bookings on long-distance trips have taken up half of the total, with cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Hangzhou being the most that win hearts of tourists for holiday travel.

Many attractions have also brought forth new tour products to attract holidaymakers.

Beijing has launched three helicopter sightseeing routes, enabling tourists to see grand mountains, the Miyun Reservoir, the Baihe River Canyon and the Great Wall from the sky.

"The part of Great Wall in Miyun District stretches over 200 kilometers. Many sections of the Great Wall are not opened to the public yet, as they are still in protection. The helicopter tour which allows people to view the Great Wall from the sky has now become another way for sightseeing," said Wang Yongku, deputy director of Miyun District's Culture and Tourism Bureau.

Meanwhile, data also indicates that the number of tourists who would like to visit small cities across China has been increasing, as the hotel bookings in county-level areas have risen by 68 percent year on year.

Small cities with feeder airports such as Baoshan, Huaihua, Chifeng and Heze have seen a year-on-year surge in plane ticket booking, with that of most of them growing by over 50 percent.

China's tourism sector projected to see surge bolstered by May Day holiday travels

China's tourism sector projected to see surge bolstered by May Day holiday travels

China's tourism sector projected to see surge bolstered by May Day holiday travels

China's tourism sector projected to see surge bolstered by May Day holiday travels

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari held a meeting with Chinese business representatives in Sanya City, south China's Hainan Province on Wednesday, calling for closer bilateral cooperation in the alternative energy sector.

Zardari is on a week-long visit to China from April 25 to May 1, aimed at strengthening economic and strategic ties between the two countries. He concluded his tour in central China's Hunan Province before arriving in Hainan on Tuesday.

During Wednesday's meeting, Zardari invited Hangzhou Jinjiang Group, a major Chinese industrial conglomerate specializing in environmental energy, non-ferrous metals including aluminum, and chemical production, to invest in priority sectors such as alternative energy, water treatment and electric vehicle battery systems.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan.

Pakistani president promotes alternative energy cooperation during Hainan visit