Beijing Rejects Local Gov’t Plans to Extend May Holidays

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Mar. 27 – Beijing has rejected plans to change the May holidays after the local governments of Guangdong, Liaoning, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Hangzhou City, Zhejiang announced an extended week in an effort to boost domestic consumption and tourism.

The central government has instructed the local governments to follow the set three day holiday. Last year, the May golden week  holiday was reduced because it led to overcrowding and a strained transportation network.

The tourism official for Nanjing, also planning to extend the holiday, Yang Le, told China Daily that they did not know about the State Council statement and “cannot give any information about the holiday arrangement.”

A tourism expert from Nankai University, Yao Yanbo, told the publication that the central government move is “within expectation.” She said that it was clear that the central government “doesn’t want to change the holiday policy too frequently” since the May Day golden week was cancelled just last year.