Self-drive holidays surge in popularity as wealthy tourists take to China's roads

More than 60 percent of domestic holidays being taken in China are now "self-drive", according to new research, prompting calls for an expansion of the country's highway network and better roadside hospitality facilities.

The study, which surveyed tourists at hotels and tourist attractions in 40 cities in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces and in Shanghai, said that self-drive holidays contributed more than 100 billion yuan ($15.68 billion) to those region's tourism income, and 1 trillion yuan nationally.

"Some 300 million licensed drivers, and increasing numbers of private cars, have made self-drive touring part of their lifestyles, said Wang Zheng, the deputy head and a researcher at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, which compiled the figures.