Golden Changes.docVIP

Golden Changes 　　When China’s National Day holiday（October 1-7） first became the socalled golden week in 1999， some 28 million people took tourist trips within the seven-day period， generating revenue of 14.1 billion yuan （$2.1 billion）， according to a Xinhua News Agency report. 　　Such numbers， however， can now be realized within half a day. 　　During this year’s golden week， 593 million people―nearly half of the population―visited tourist attractions around the country and spent 482.2 billion yuan （$71.7 billion） during their trip， respectively over 20 and 30 times the same figures 17 years ago， according to data from the China National Tourism Administration （CNTA）. 　　Wei Xiang， an associate professor with the National Academy of Economic Strategy under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences， said the golden week has played a pivotal role in boosting domestic demand since its inception. 　　Since more government support has been put in place and the tourism industry is becoming increasingly well-regulated， the holiday will unleash more potential for lifting the slowing economy， Wei forecasted. 　　 Easier trips 　　“Back in 1999， in the first golden week， I booked a hotel room via telephone， and 17 years later， I[still] booked one via phone. But what I use [now] is a mobile phone application，” Tao Zengrui， a retiree in Shanghai， told Xinhua. 　　From booking via phone calls or visiting travel agencies in person to booking online with mobile phones， making travel arrangements has become much easier over the past decades. 　　C， a leading travel agency in China， offered its services only by phone or at its branches 17 years ago. In the first decade of the new century， travel services moved online， and bookings via the Internet rapidly superseded those made in brick-and-mortar outlets. 　　Since 2010， the prevalence of smartphones has further changed the travel habits. To date， downloads of C’s mobile app have exceeded 2.3 billion， and 70 percent of the company’s bu