More than 3.67 million Guangzhou residents will go traveling during the mid-Autumn festival and the 7-day National Day holidays.

They will spend an estimated 1.94 billion yuan (US$230 million), according to a survey by the Guangzhou Municipal Tourism Administration.

The survey of 1972 people in 600 Guangzhou families indicated that 70 percent of Guangzhou dwellers intended to travel, 20 percent more than the same period last year. An average of 1,556 yuan would be spent by each household, with each person spending an average of 527.5 yuan on travel.

Compared with the May Day holidays, fewer people will travel but those who do will spend more. While 28 percent of the households surveyed will spend less than 500 yuan on fares, and 3.5 percent are willing to spend more than 6,000 yuan, the most travel expenses will be between the two figures.

About 1.82 million Guangzhou people will stay home and visit tourist spots in the city, almost 30 percent more than in the National Day holidays last year.

Most people traveling outside the city will head northeast and southwest part of China, 30 percent more than last year.

Meanwhile railways are expecting 1.08 million passengers while bus lines expect 1.78 million people will travel by bus.

The tourism bureau also designated staff to take charge of a complaint hotline 86666666 around-the-clock. The bureau will launch a joint check over with industrial and commercial administration and public security bureau to illegal practices of some unlicensed tourism enterprises.

(Shenzhen Daily September 23, 2004)