Tourists to Shanghai have been fewer this Spring Festival
because of the bad weather before the holiday, but more local
people enjoyed their holiday in the countryside, officials said
yesterday.
The city received more than 2.3 million tourists from both home
and abroad during the seven-day holiday, a reduction of 14.8
percent from last year's Spring Festival.
Tourists spent about 1.9 billion yuan (US$263 million) some nine
percent less than last year, according to the Shanghai Tourism
Administrative Commission.
Some traditionally popular scenic spots, such as the Oriental
Pearl TV Tower and the Century Park were relatively less
crowded.
The commission said they had expected that situation as people
who had suffered the snow storms were not in the mood to
travel.
Tourists would be back once the weather changed for the better,
officials said.
Meanwhile, more local people chose to avoid the hustle and
bustle of the city and travel to the countryside.
The Chongming County and Songjiang, Fengxian and Qingpu
districts have all reported that the agricultural centers have
received more visitors this year. The Shanghai Sightseeing Bus
Center reported heavy demand for trips to the suburbs.
(Shanghai Daily February 13, 2008)