Travel in Suzhou Railway station peaks on May 3, the last day of the Labor Day holiday. [Photo/Suzhou Daily]

Suzhou received 4.05 million visitors during the three-day Labor Day holiday and a reported 4.05 billion yuan ($651.65 million) in tourist earnings was made. The figures are up 1.01 percent and 5.2 percent respectively from the same period last year, according to the Suzhou Tourism Bureau.

The 53rd World Table Tennis Championships, which was held from April 27 to May 3, was the highlight of the holiday in Suzhou. Hundreds of alternative activities were held in Suzhou for tourists to take part in, including Midi Festival at the Taihu Lake Wetland Park, Taihu Windmill Festival and the Huqiu Flower Festival. And with the city's charming historic gardens offering an ancient flare, the themed activities complemented the city with a modern image to nationwide and worldwide tourists.

The city's historical towns and old streets were crowded during the holiday. Eco-tours were also welcomed during the weekend. More than 80 percent of visitors to popular sightseeing spots were non-locals, many of whom came in family cars. About 95 percent of them said they were satisfied with their tours in Suzhou and most of them said in a poll that they were impressed by the cultural resources and the local dishes.

As the audience of the 53rd World Table Tennis Championships flocked into Suzhou, star-rated hotels around the competition venue were close to capacity and hotels in the city's urban area maintained an occupancy rate of 90 percent during the holiday.