Consumption push promises summer tourism boom

Fueled by rising consumption and attractive packages offered by tourism authorities, this summer promises to be a bumper season for tourism, industry insiders said on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the number of railway passenger trips between July 1 and Aug 31, the duration of the summer vacation for students, is expected to reach 953 million, which will mark a year-on-year increase of 5.8 percent.

Qi Chunguang, vice-president of travel portal Tuniu, said the summer travel peak is expected much earlier this year. "In fact, our figures suggest it already started on June 28, instead of the usual second week of July," he said.