Shanghai World Expo Tourism surges 38 percent for week

With the World Expo drawing them in, more than 8 million tourists from both home and abroad swarmed into Shanghai this National Day holiday, 38 percent more visitors than last year over the same period, local tourism authorities said yesterday.

The brisk travel business generated revenue of 6 billion yuan (US$8.9 million), a 30 percent increase over last year, the Shanghai Tourism Administration said.

The Expo was the hottest city destination during the "golden week." The Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center said half of their customers during the holiday were heading for the Expo site.

However, the tourism administration also received more than 140 complaints during the holiday, most of them targeting "online travel agencies."

"Some travel service companies are not legal or qualified to organize tour groups, and tourists may easily cheated," said Li Ping, an administration official. "We urge tourists not to believe the exaggerated advertisements of such black companies."