China tourism authority prioritizes safety during holiday

China's tourism authority said Monday that it has organized several teams to inspect tourism safety during the upcoming eight-day holiday that starts on Sept. 30. The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) will coordinate the efforts of various government departments to intensify inspections and ensure a safe and orderly holiday, according to a statement on the CNTA's website. The inspection teams have urged local authorities to prioritize ensuring tourism safety, including traffic safety, food safety and public security, the statement said. The China Tourism Academy forecast this month that China will see a tourism boom during the holiday, and the number of travellers will increase by around 20 percent year on year to 362 million. This year, people living in China will enjoy a national holiday from Sept. 30 to Oct. 7, encompassing the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holidays. The Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept. 30 this year, is a significant traditional Chinese holiday that falls in the middle of the autumn season and symbolizes harvest and family reunions.