Tourism authorities in major Chinese cities are competing to attract a soaring number of tourists, expected to peak during the National Day holiday, although the "Golden Week" is still two weeks away, CCTV reported Sunday.

A parade in Shanghai unveiled the opening of the 2003 Shanghai Tourism Festival on Saturday, beginning a charm offensive to lure tourists.

The number of tourists is expected to surge during the week-long holiday as many intending tourists had to scrap their travel plans during the May Day holiday due to the SARS outbreak.

Hong Kong is expected to see a surge in the number of passengers during the "Golden Week" holiday as residents in some mainland cities have been allowed to visit the city without joining tour groups.

From Friday, flights from Beijing and Shanghai to Hong Kong have been increased by 20 per cent to meet the demand of individual travelers. Hong Kong is planning to promote quality services in the retail and hotel sectors by offering brochures and discounted room rates.

The 102 parks in Heilongjiang Province will organize hill-climbing competitions to attract tourists.

The tourism markets in Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi provinces are being warmed up for a variety of tourist festivals.

(Shenzhen Daily September 15, 2003)