(Yicai) April 29 -- Multiple Chinese cities and provinces will dish out vouchers worth more than CNY284 million (USD41.5 million) to spur consumption over the upcoming five-day Labor Day break.

Around 13,700 cultural and tourism events will be held nationwide during the holiday that starts May 1, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said yesterday. Inter-regional passenger trips may increase 4 percent to a record 1.52 billion from a year ago, the transport ministry noted.

Hangzhou is offering CNY20 million (USD2.9 million) in tourism subsidies covering various tickets, accommodation, food, transport, and shopping, while Hainan province is handing out CNY30 million in vouchers for visitors to the island, offering discounts for flights, hotels, and scenic spots through the end of September. In addition, Chongqing is holding over 700 promotional events in partnership with local merchants from April 25 through May 5, with combined discounts and benefits exceeding CNY1 billion (USD146.3 million).

China's inbound tourism market has grown exponentially over the past two years but remains concentrated in a handful of major cities, leaving significant room for expansion, said Chen Qiankang, president of the Sichuan Provincial Tour Guide Association. Language barriers, payment friction, and cultural differences are the main bottlenecks holding back the sector, he pointed out.

Sichuan province's culture and tourism authority held a promotional event in Barcelona, giving away 8,000 free scenic spot tickets and waiving domestic connecting fares for travelers buying joint tickets via Sichuan Airlines.

In addition, Hainan has teamed up with Trip.Com's overseas platform to distribute CNY5 million in airfare vouchers, offering discounts of up to CNY400 (USD58.50) for visitors from Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea, as well as from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. 

The number of overseas visitors in China rose 17 percent to 154.5 million last year from the previous year, with relevant spending surging 39 percent to USD131.1 billion, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics. Those entering visa-free topped 30.1 million, up 50 percent.

Editor: Martin Kadiev