As the traditional Chinese Spring Festival approaches, the travel market is showing definite signs of heating up. Many travel agencies have introduced new packages to entice visitors.
New images and price quotations for vacation packages are being posted in the reception hall of many travel agencies around the capital city Beijing.
A travel consultant says streams of potential tourists have come to ask for her advice.
"We receive numerous calls asking for information every day. There is a great demand for inbound and outbound travel, and many tourists have registered at our agency and some travel routes have been completely booked out."
The Spring Festival is the perfect time for travel. And there are many choices--China has so far opened over 60 outbound travel destinations across the globe.
However, the cost for a trip to Japan, Australia or Europe during the Lunar New Year period has risen slightly, with an average increase of about one thousand yuan, or 120 US dollars.
Marketing manager of the China Comfort Travel Service, Jia Yiyuan, says routes to Australia and New Zealand are exceptionally hot. Although the cost of some long routes is quite high.
"The rise in price has occurred for several reasons. Firstly, it is the best time to travel to these two countries. Secondly, the price of jet fuel has increased. Moreover, the exchange rate has also risen."
Meanwhile, domestic travel is also heating up, with many people intent on visiting spots in the north and south of the country.
People who want to appreciate the frosty beauty of winter are zipping up their parkas and heading off to the northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang,
Jilin and Liaoning as well as Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang autonomous regions further west.
But a perennial favorite is Hainan's gorgeous beaches and Yunnan in southwest China for a burst of sunshine during the chilly winter.
To ensure tourists have a safe and comfortable journey during the Festival, China is organizing an inspection of large venues and related equipment, including entrainment facilities, lifts and cable cars all over the country.
Yang Huaisheng, the general manager of Mutianyu Great Wall Cablecar Company, said: "our cable car has worked for 17 years; it is time we conduct a through inspection and make repairs where necessary. We can offer a much more safe and comfortable cable car to tourists during the Festival."
And it's not just operators that are concerned about safety: tourists are also showing growing concern.
In many big cities, many travelers are volunteering to buy accident insurance. This is a dramatic departure from previous years when fewer than 50 percent of tourists applied for insurance.
Tourists can buy traveler's accident insurance through travel agencies when booking trips.
Accident insurance for three days inside the country costs twenty yuan and 25 yuan for additional days. Compensation could be as high as one hundred thousand yuan.
