China sees tourism boom during May Day holiday

BEIJING - China saw a tourism boom during the three-day May Day holiday, a sign of the country's booming tourism industry, official data showed on Monday.

The country's tourism industry raked in 79.1 billion yuan ($11.5 billion) in revenue during the holiday, up 16.2 percent from a year earlier, according to data from the National Tourism Administration.

During the holiday that ended on Monday, tourist destinations across China received a total of 134 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 14.4 percent.

The tourism boom came as China tries to wean its economy off over-reliance on exports and heavy industries, and shift to a growth model that draws strength from consumption, innovation and service sector.

The tourism industry is considered a driver to growth as it boosts profitability in sectors ranging from hotel, transportation to catering.