Chinese flee overseas for lunar new year cheer

BEIJING (Reuters) - Clutching plane tickets in the teeming departure hall of Beijing airport, Wang Wei is happy he isn't going to his hometown for Chinese New Year.

The 36-year-old engineer is one of thousands escaping China's frosty northern winter and defying the tradition of spending the lunar new year holiday with family at home.

"Of course, we will miss seeing the parents and relatives, but it will be nice to get some warm weather in Thailand," Wang said, as he corralled his family around him. The lunar new year starts on February 18.

The trickle of outward bound tourists may be swamped by the more than 2 billion domestic bus, train and boat trips ferrying people between hometowns and adopted cities -- a phenomenon dubbed the "world's greatest human migration".

But as incomes rise, China's swelling ranks of cashed-up pleasure-seekers have taken to overseas travel with gusto.

Liang Yuli, a travel agent with state-run China International Travel Service, said her office sold out most tickets to overseas flights a month before the lunar new year starts on February 18.

"The demand for overseas travel this year has been incredible," said Liang. "It was quite unexpected... People want to go overseas simply because they can now."

Most Chinese employees are still confined to three, state-sanctioned "golden" weeks of holidays falling in May, October and the start of the lunar new year in early spring.

But instead of spending them with family as usual, more and more Chinese are opting to go abroad to shop, see the sites or lounge on a palm-fringed beach instead.

The number of overseas trips has soared over the past decade, with some 35 million trips in 2006 compared to 620,000 trips in 1990, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

With the average disposable income rising, and the yuan steadily gaining against the U.S. dollar, more Chinese can now afford to travel abroad.

Travel restrictions have also loosened in recent years. From having only six approved countries to visit in 1999, tourists can choose from 129 as of December 2006.

ITCHY FEET

Chinese tourists used to make forays mainly to nearby countries like South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia, but now South Africa, Egypt and even Malta attract growing numbers.

But this surge in outbound travelers is proving too much for China's creaky, but rapidly developing, tourism infrastructure.

About a third of passengers wait for hours for flights at airports strained beyond capacity, according to state media.

These travelers should count themselves lucky they can get on a plane at all, said Zhu Dahong, a 25-year-old Beijing office worker who will spend the new year in Hong Kong.

A native of Weihai, in China's eastern Shandong province, Zhu clearly remembers the sleepless, 17-hour train journeys back home where he was crammed in carriages with hundreds of students and poor migrant workers.

"It's not enjoyable at all. It's very uncomfortable -- and you must keep an eye on your belongings at all times."

The stress of the holiday crush is enough to put many young Chinese off staying home, especially when family gatherings are boring and routine, said Zhao Ran, a 24-year-old auditor.

"I've been doing this for over 20 years," said Zhao, who spent last new year in Thailand with a friend. "I want to escape these stuffy traditions and try different things."

"I think people flying overseas for the holidays is a good thing. It means we are learning to change," he added.

The need for change is a sentiment travel agent Liang hears constantly when arranging beach holidays or shopping tours.

"People often they think that they can be with their families and eat delicious food at any time," Liang said. "But there are not so many chances to travel internationally. People want something new -- not to just sit at home and watch television."

($1=7.749 Yuan)