Hechi proves popular with May Day holidaymakers

Hechi welcomed 1.5 million tourists during this year's May Day holiday, which lasted from May 1 to 5, representing a year-on-year increase of 215.94 percent. Total tourism consumption in the city hit 1.1 billion yuan ($170 million), increasing 411.86 percent year-on-year.

Attractions across Hechi laid on a series of activities to entertain visitors during the public holiday. For example, Huanjiang Maonan autonomous county held a beer festival and promoted a number of local cultural traditions, including the process of making Maonan bamboo hats and how to perform a bronze drum dance.

Thanks to improvements in rural infrastructure and people's standard of living, visits to the countryside were particularly popular during the holiday. Attractions launched activities including fruit picking, with homestays offering an alternative to hotels for those wanting to stay overnight.

Many visitors chose to drive themselves to the city this year, attracted by the city's toll-free expressways. The majority avoided joining a group tour, with about 90 percent of tourists visiting attractions traveling independently.