(Yicai) Aug. 15 -- Flight searches surged right after China's government said the two public holidays of the National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival will result in eight straight days of time off work and school.

In the week ended yesterday, bookings of domestic flights jumped by more than 40 percent for the holiday period that goes from Sept. 29 to Oct. 6 from a week ago, travel agency Ly.Com announced. Those of international flights rose by 35 percent.

The State Council issued a notice yesterday to show that the two holidays that tend to be close to each other will result in eight straight days of public holidays. After the announcement, the number of inquiries about Ly.Com's special eight-day group tour doubled, and those for international tours increased by more than four times.

Travelers have more options as last week, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the third batch of countries and regions for resumed group tours, including Japan, Turkey, and the United States, after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tongcheng Research Institute predicts that the flow of families and tourists will surge during the long fall holiday and domestic air tickets will be priced at more than CNY1,000 (USD137), exceeding that of the summer season.

From Sept. 26, domestic flight fares will increase significantly, the institute forecast. Domestic flights for Sept. 29, the first day of the holiday, still cost CNY1,293 on average, an increase of nearly 40 percent from the summer.

Even international tickets are predicted to soar in price from Sept. 25. The average price for flying out on Sept. 29 is CNY6,696, up by 72 percent from the summer season.

Editor: Emmi Laine