Increased tourism to Yunnan ahead of Songkran Festival

As the Songkran Festival, or Water Splashing Festival, approaches, more Chinese people have decided to visit Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province and Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Burma, and Cambodia to enjoy the festival.

The festival is celebrated in these areas as the traditional New Year's Day, and lasts three to seven days.

In Thailand, people splash water at each other to express blessings, with a series of celebrations including beauty pageants, flower parades, food exhibitions and other performances.

As a new popular tourist destination, Chiang Mai is also being added to the festival's tourism routes, so that tourists can experience the differences between Southern and Northern Thailand.

According to Tuniu.com, a tourism website, the number of tourists who bought tours to Southeast Asian countries by March 31 had increased 44.22 percent year-on-year.

Thailand will be a popular destination in April and some airlines are increasing their flights to some major cities.