A zoo in Jinan, capital of Shandong province, is swarming with tourists on May 1. [e23.cn]

According to statistics issued by the Shandong provincial tourism authority, tourist resorts in Shandong province hosted 20.38 million tourists during the three-day Labor Day holiday, up 12.2 percent compared to the same period of last year, raking in US$2.3 billion in tourism revenues.

Self-drive, individual and family holiday account for 70 percent of the visitors’ choices to visit the Shandong city over the three-day holiday, according to the sample survey.

The car parks of key scenic areas like Mount Taishan, Confucius Temple, Penglai Pavilion, Liugong Island were filled to full capacity.

City dwellers tend to visit the rural areas to do some hiking, fruit-picking and enjoy flowers. Instead, countryside tourists choose to head towards the parks, squares and museums to experience the charm of the city.