Source: Xinhua
02-02-2009 08:23
Special Report: 2009 Spring FestivalBEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Tourism in Beijing appeared "bullish" during the Spring Festival which marks the beginning of the Chinese ox year, according to figures released by the city's tourism bureau Saturday, the last day of the weeklong holiday.
During the Spring Festival holiday, from Jan. 25 to 31, the city received about 3.24 million domestic tourists, a record high and up 20 percent from last year, the bureau said in a press release.
The bureau said Beijing reported 2.1 billion yuan (about 3 million U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue the past week, up 32.6 percent
The bureau reported that the average tourist spent 2,065 yuan (about 304 U.S. dollars), 90 yuan more than last year.
Beijing Olympic venues were popular among the tourists. The Olympic park was visited by more than 1 million people, while the National Stadium and the National Aquatics Center, dubbed Bird's Nest and Water Cube, saw a combined 220,000 sightseers.
Gu Xiaoyuan, spokeswoman for the Beijing Tourism Bureau, attributed the increase to publicity, discounts and tightened management.
According to Gu, her bureau received fewer complaints from tourists during the holiday. "The number of complaints was down by 28 percent compared with the same period of last year."
She didn't specify how many complaints were received or what they were about.
An online complaint service on the bureau's Web site indicates that the most frequently received complaints regarded overcharging by unlicensed taxi drivers and tour guides, poor food and accommodations and excessive shopping instead of sightseeing.
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Editor:Qin Yongjing
