Society

Travel agencies engulfed by bookings ahead of holiday

By Yang Yijun (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-06 08:25

SHANGHAI - The city's travel agencies have started receiving an increasing number of bookings for long-distance tours for the unprecedented 16-day holiday that kicks off Sept 22.

With two major holidays in September and October falling close to each other - a three-day Mid-Autumn Festival from Sept 22 and a seven-day National Day break from Oct 1 - many residents are mulling taking six days' leave from their companies from Sept 25 to 30 to enjoy the longest national holiday in history.

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According to a recent survey by Sina.com, 42 percent of the 2,000 respondents said they are planning to apply for additional leave during the period either to enjoy a nice, long rest or a faraway vacation.

Shanghai's travel agencies have already started receiving an unexpected number of bookings, several days before the holiday season begins at the end of next month.

"We have already received many bookings for long-distance routes to Europe, the US and Canada during the holiday, although it is still more than a month away," said Yuan Zhuang, general manager of China International Travel Service in Shanghai.

He cautioned that the price of the routes will be higher during the holiday season due to the increasing airfares, which are already more expensive than before thanks to the ongoing World Expo in Shanghai.

"We are very busy with bookings for the coming holiday season, especially outbound trip, which many people wouldn't undertake if it was not for the longer-than-usual break," said Hou Xuezheng, who works at a travel agency.

"It's become impossible for us to negotiate prices with our suppliers, such as hotels and restaurants, as the routes are so popular that we are competing with several other travel agencies," she said.