Ya Ting (People's Daily): The difficulties relating to this issue stem from people's higher demand for holidays. In the past, people were satisfied with a two-day-long weekend that was usually spent by having a rest at home. Today, in the face of higher pressures from work and a quicker pace of life, they hope to have paid annual leave in addition to public holidays. In addition, many young people working in cities live apart from their parents, and hope to reunite with the whole family more often. People are already fed up with rushing to overcrowded scenic spots during Labor Day and National Day holidays.

The public's elevated demand constitutes the internal driving force for reform. The development of the tourism market should not be limited to holidays. There is great potential to be tapped on non-holidays. The tourism ministerial joint conference operates at a higher level and works with more departments. It will find out how to ensure people can visit holiday destinations at different times throughout the year, ensuring a higher level of leisure and enjoyment.

Diverse needs

Wang Zaoxia (Shanxi Daily): With the country's economic and social development, public expectations for leisure are becoming more refined. Although it did many things to help people enjoy holidays, the National Holiday Office was unable to meet people's diversified requirements for tourism and leisure consumption, and thus it's time for it to go. The Outline for National Tourism and Leisure (2013-20) issued by the Central Government pointed out that the paid annual leave system should be implemented by 2020. This precise timetable is a big step forward.

Meanwhile, the new system separates the public's holiday rights from the tourism industry. This shows that China's tourism industry is moving in the right direction and overdependence on the "holiday economy" is being addressed.

Su Wenyang (Beijing Evening News): I don't think the reform aims to promote the paid annual leave system. While paid annual leave is a basic right for workers, holiday tourism is not. Most likely the new system only centers on the tourism industry, but will not take into account the paid annual leave system. Strictly speaking, this system is something the human resources and social security authorities should take charge of. The tourism ministerial joint conference cannot effectively manage to ensure citizens' legitimate right to annual leave.

During paid leave, people can choose how to spend the free days. They don't necessarily have to travel around. They can visit friends, go shopping, participate in sports or even just stay at home for a rest.

As for the paid leave system, there should be a survey to show what industries and departments are unable to implement it and what the reasons are for this. Implementing paid leave should not be a problem for state-owned enterprises, civil servants, teachers, doctors, lawyers, police officers and so on. It has already operated well in most foreign-invested companies. The biggest obstacle comes from private businesses.

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