With the Lunar New Year around the corner, eight out of 10 Chinese are packing up for the week-long vacation, according to ACNielsen's online survey, which polled over 3,000 people across the country aged from 15 to 54.

The survey found family reunions are the major reason many Chinese travel during the holiday. Of them, more than a third will travel within China for Spring Festival family events, 18 percent will travel to domestic holiday destinations, and almost one in 10 will travel overseas.

"In China, many people move to cities or provinces for better job opportunities. The Spring Festival and a family reunion are what most have been looking forward to after a long year of hard work," said Grace Pan, head of travel and leisure research at ACNielsen China.

Many are also considering spending the week-long vacation traveling within or outside the country, with individual disposable income on the rise, and a more open and favorable outbound travel policy.

Going south is the preferred choice for many mainland travelers, with Hong Kong, Macao and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region the most popular destinations among outbound travelers.

Of those surveyed who had booked overseas trips, up to 74 percent will visit Hong Kong. Other Asian destinations at the top of mainland travelers' lists are Macao, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia.

Despite the cold weather, 13 percent of those surveyed have chosen to go to Europe, followed by Canada and the United States even though neither of these countries has approved destination status.

The survey also indicated that an increasing number of Chinese travelers prefer to take control of their itineraries, with 62 percent of domestic and over 50 percent of overseas travelers organizing their own accommodation and plans.

More than half of those traveling over the Spring Festival week said they would spend 1,000 to 5,000 yuan, and nearly one-fifth will spend over 5,000 yuan.

According to ACNielsen, fashion, accessories and leather goods are at the top of the shopping list for over two-thirds of Chinese going abroad. About 63 percent will also shop for gifts, perfume and cosmetics. Other items include souvenirs, jewelry and watches.

(Source: China Daily February 14, 2007)