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More than 10 million Chinese stayed in hotels during the Spring Festival holidays, a substantial increase over last year, agency reported. Domestic travelers during the January 24-30 holiday period totaled 44.96 million. According to the China National Tourism Administration, tourism income during the Lunar New Year holidays reached 19.8 billion yuan (US$2.38 billion), a sizable increase over the 55 million yuan recorded during the National Day holiday on October 1. With more disposable income, domestic travelers are favoring tourism venues for their holidays, and organized excursions and long hotel stays are gaining in popularity. Some tourists opted for the icy whiteness of the north, while others enjoyed the sunshine in the south. Many hotels in tourist hotspots were booked far in advance of the festival, Xinhua said. The first Spring Festival of the new century came at the turning period between the Ninth (1996-2000) and Tenth Five-Year Plan (2001-2005) periods. The Gross Domestic Product last year hit US$1,000 billion, with the per capita income reaching US$800. The living standard of Chinese people has been improving year by year. Xinhua said people are paying more attention to their quality of life and feel more comfortable spending money on luxuries such as hotel visits. Many families have moved into new apartments as a result of the housing reform last year. Better service and improved infrastructure have also relieved tourists' worries, according to an official from the travel association. "I reserved one room for my parents in the Sheraton Hotel on the eve of Spring Festival," said a Mr. Liu, who works in Beijing. "They had a good time after taking part in the special entertainment program there. They considered it the most wonderful festival they ever had."