With the Chinese Lunar New Year quickly approaching, airports and train stations nationwide have been packed with busy travelers anxious to start their vacation. China is the world's largest tourism market, with rising consumption rates. Officials say this year's holiday spending by domestic tourists is expected to increase. CGTN's Ren Xueqian has more.

According to data published by Chinese luxury online travel agency Tunui Corporation, the number of holiday bookings as of February 1st increased 30 percent compared to last year.

With domestic income per capita growing at over 7 percent in 2017, the number of people travelling during this year's Spring Festival is also expected to increase.

WANG XIAOFENG, VICE CHAIRMAN CHINA NATIONAL TOURISM ADMINISTRATION "According to our data, the number of domestic tourists is expected to reach 385 million over the holiday season, generating 476 billion yuan. That's up by 12 percent and 12.5 percent year-on-year respectively."

Warmer provinces like Hainan and Yunnan and snow-hit areas such as Harbin and Xinjiang remain some of the top destinations for travelers. Second and third tier cities are also preparing to receive a large inflow of tourists, many of whom seeking quality time with their loved ones.

WANG XIAOFENG, VICE CHAIRMAN CHINA NATIONAL TOURISM ADMINISTRATION "Southern and northernmost parts are the most popular tourist destinations. Survey shows that more people prefer activities such as spending time at health spas while traveling, than sightseeing. Snow and island tours, shopping, attending temple fairs, fruit and vegetable picking, and food-tasting remain highly favored family activities."

With holiday spending set to increase in both quality and quantity, officials said businesses and distribution outlets are working to ensure product safety and availability.

WANG BINGNAN, VICE MINISTER MINISTRY OF COMMERCE "We've entered the holiday sale peak season. Last week alone, retail sales grew by 22 percent, with major increases in clothing, tobacco and food. Online retail sales are also climbing rapidly. We expect the national sales in retail and restaurants to reach over 900 billion yuan during the holiday. This will be a year on year growth rate of 10 percent. We will work to ensure key agricultural produce and meat are supplid at stable prices, as well as increasing the quality to better meet consumer demands."

The Ministry of Commerce said major e-commerce and food take-out platforms will maintain their usual delivery services during the holiday. It added that it has also strengthened regulation to fight counterfeit products. Several large cities have set up food reserves to cover emergencies. Various exhibitions, performances and family events will be hosted across the country as well as overseas. According to the Ministry of Culture, currently more than ten countries, both in North America and Southeast Asia, have included the Chinese New Year in their official holidays.