Jiuzhaigou in Southwest China's Sichuan Province is set to be the hottest domestic tourist destination in the coming Golden Week Holiday between Oct. 1 and 7, a survey has said.

 

And Southeast Asia has retained its allure as the most popular region for Chinese looking to spend the holiday abroad.

 

 

More than 60 percent of the 4,000 people surveyed by ctrip.com, an online travel service, said they plan to spend 3,000 to 10,000 yuan (400 to 1,300 U.S. dollars) on travel during the coming holiday.

 

"Chengdu-Jiuzhaigou is the bestselling route because Jiuzhaigou is most beautiful during the autumn season," Tang Yibo, a senior manager with Ctrip, said.

 

Jiuzhaigou has attracted a lot of attention in recent years because of the vibrant colors of the changing leaves on the trees and its many lakes, Tang said.

 

Following Jiuzhaigou on the list this year are Beijing, Chengde - which are both appreciated for their fall scenery -- Lijiang and Sanya.

 

Overseas, Bali in Indonesia, Japan and South Korea remain popular choices, the survey said.

 

It also found 52 percent of the respondents will not be using travel agencies or group tours, choosing instead to travel by themselves, or with their families or friends.

 

More than half of those polled said they started planning their holidays a month in advance, while 15 percent of them started planning two months ahead.

 

The Ministry of Railways has forecast 45.5 million people will travel by train between Sept. 28 and Oct. 7.

 

 

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 18, 2007)