China expects Lunar New Year tourists to take more than 2 billion trips

BEIJING (AP) - Chinese authorities expect tourists to take 2.2 billion trips over the Lunar New Year holiday in February, a news report said Wednesday. Tourists are expected to take nearly two billion trips by road during the 40-day travel season that begins Feb. 3, the Xinhua News Agency said, citing the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's main planning agency.

Travellers will take 155 million trips by train and more than 19 million by air, Xinhua said.

The Lunar New Year holiday is China's most important annual family event. Hundreds of millions of city dwellers travel to their traditional hometowns, while a growing number of Chinese are taking advantage of the holiday to visit tourist spots.

The government has extended the length of the official holiday to one week in recent years in order to encourage tourism as an economic development measure.

© The Canadian Press, 2006