Time to buy plane tickets and holiday longer

Starting next year, the Spring Festival and Labor Day holidays will each be longer by a day following a revision of the national festival and commemorative day holiday regulations on Tuesday. This means people will have more time to rest and enjoy the festivities.

Earlier holidays would mean longer workdays before and after, which not everyone liked. But the regulation says that the longest period of continuous work before and after statutory holidays should not exceed six days.

Since its establishment, the national regulation on holidays has been revised in 1999, 2007 and 2013 following broad social interaction and consensus.

The latest revision continues this trend, extending people's holiday time and enhancing their holiday rights.

However, while workers believe the longer the holidays the better, for the overall economy, normal functioning must be ensured. That's why debates about holidays are often part of the public discourse, while the government fixes holidays after seeking public opinion and forming a consensus.

Following Tuesday's announcement, on social networking sites many posted comments such as "extremely happy" or "hurry up and buy plane tickets for travel".

As the economy continues to develop, holidays will be optimized too. Through timely adjustments they will better balance the rhythm of social life, and people's needs and expectations.

BEIJING NEWS