The National Day holiday has come to an end. Many people chose their favorite destinations to fully relax and rejuvenate for future work. However, some sad news spoiled people's good moods.

One report said that camel riding has become quite popular in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, a Silk Road town known for its medieval Buddhist grottos. Due to the large numbers of tourists, camels and dromedaries bear these travelers day and night, and still cannot meet demand at peak times. Some camels have died from overwork. 

This is a minor example of the overcrowding in tourist spots.

According to the latest data from authorities, the number of visitors has been twice the normal amount during vacations in some places of interest, and some areas even received numbers 10 times the usual amount, such as the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing and Gulangyu Island in Xiamen.

Such a large scale of travelers unavoidably leads to the frustrated condition of both travelers and scenic spots. Some argue that travelers should be rational when making their plans.

Chinese travelers can choose where they go, how they go and whom they go with. However, they don't get to choose when they can go.

A long-distance journey requires a long time. But Chinese only have two long breaks each year during which they can go traveling, the National Day holiday and the Spring Festival holiday.

While the Spring Festival holiday is a traditional get-together with families, the National Day holiday is the only period when people can plan for long-distance journeys. Therefore, the swarm of travelers is easily predictable.

For a long time, the authorities have tended to take specific top-down measures toward specific social problems. Such management ideas also extend to the way people take their vacations. However, the effectiveness of the idea when it comes to holiday spending has not been what was expected.

For example, the recent implementation of the free highway toll policy on major holidays is leading people to travel only on holidays, causing traffic snarls on the highways.

The solution is not that difficult. The policy of paid vacations should be better implemented. Employees should negotiate with their companies when they can take their annual leave. After all, people themselves know better than the authorities when they'd like to relax. They will sensibly choose the best time for traveling if given a chance.

The Beijing News