The recent week-long National Day holiday generated an expected economic boom but the "Golden Week" holidays are losing their charm for more and more people, a nationwide survey shows.

During the recent week-long holiday, China received 101 million tourists nationwide and reaped 39.7 billion yuan (US$4.8 billion) in tourism revenue, the best "harvest" since China introduced the two extra "Golden Week" holidays in 1999.

However, the holidays have also put pressure on the country's transport system and service industry.

Compared with the ardent welcome the holiday received several years ago, 44 percent of Chinese prefer "free and flexible holidays with payments maintained" instead of fixed holidays, according to a survey by the Beijing-based Zero Survey Net.com. It polled 3,502 people at random from 10 big and medium cities.

The term means employers should allow employees 10 to 15 days of paid holiday annually, with employees deciding when and how to spend the holiday adjusting to their work.

The survey showed that this was the preferred choice of youth from 18 to 39, singles, couples with a child under 14 and couples living with their parents.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged over 40 also favored accumulating their holidays and spending them with their families.

Too much traffic in transport, restaurants, hotels and scenic spots resulted in people's disfavor with the current "Golden Week."

"There are too many people almost everywhere. Even in the toilet, people have to wait in a long queue," said Wang Fan, a student from Tsinghua University who traveled in the holiday.

According to statistics released by the National Holiday Office, about 13.07 million people visited China's 99 major tourist attractions during the holiday, or 18,900 people per attraction per day. The average tourist attraction, however, can only handle 5,000 to 6,000 visitors, otherwise damages would be inevitable.

Official complaints about poor tourist, transportation and shopping services numbered 102, 60 and 17, increasing 55.2 percent, 57.9 percent, 240 percent, respectively, from last year's holiday.

Even for business, the holiday does not ensure long-term commercial prosperity, as the "rush consumption" is often followed by a consumption slump.

Figures from an anonymous chain group show it reaped 140 million yuan during last year's National Day holiday and 470 million by the end of October, still less than its sales income of 520 million for the previous month.

Currently, China has three "Golden Week" holidays, the May Day, the National Day, and the Spring Festival holidays.

(Xinhua News Agency October 21, 2004)