Illustration: Peter C. Espina/GT

People in Beijing are facing another scramble for tickets. Employees in government agencies and public institutions are allowed to have a six-day holiday from November 7 to 12 during APEC meetings. With this extra holiday, many have scrambled to book a ticket for traveling outside the city. It's reported that a large portion of train tickets for popular routes on the first day of the holiday have sold out in Beijing. As many vehicle owners in Beijing like to drive outside the city, the China Railway Corporation also offers a new service that help those car owners to transport vehicles to their preferred destination. Chinese have long been complaining that they don't have enough holidays. The unexpected APEC holiday is hailed as a gift, and based on the heated competition to book tickets, we can expect another boom of tourism to come this year.