China launches May Day holiday consumption week with 284 mln yuan in vouchers

China on Monday launched a nationwide consumption week featuring 284 million yuan (about 41.5 million U.S. dollars) in travel and culture vouchers, aiming to boost tourism ahead of the May Day holiday.

The campaign, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, runs through May 5, the final day of the five-day public holiday.

To give the tourism economy a lift during one of the country's busiest travel seasons, authorities have put together a wide range of finely tuned offerings designed to appeal to different types of travelers, from flower-viewing tours and family-friendly activities to educational programs.

More than 13,000 cultural and tourism events and over 30,000 commercial performances will be staged across the country, giving travelers plenty of reasons to leave home.

The ministry has also worked with major companies and platforms to roll out targeted consumer incentives, including ticket discounts for popular attractions and fuel deals for self-driving holidaymakers.

The United Kingdom's economy contracted in April, with the gross domestic product (GDP) falling 0.1 percent month on month after growing 0.3 percent in March, according to data released Friday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The main driver of the negative growth was cited as a 0.2 percent contraction in services.

According to the ONS, one of the biggest contributors to the decline in services was a 9.1 percent fall in sports, amusement and recreation activities -- the largest negative contribution from a single industry to services output and real GDP growth.

Some of the sector's decline was attributed to the war in the Middle East, as the cancellation of various sporting events in the Middle East affected the output of U.K.-based companies, said the ONS.