China's tourism sector raked in a staggering 423.3 billion yuan ($61.55 billion) during the recent Lunar New Year festival, up 15.9 percent from 2016, China National Tourism Administration revealed on Thursday.

China saw an estimated 344 million domestic tourist trips during the four-day holiday, slightly slower than the 16.3 percent increase in 2016. Overseas travels also gained increasing popularity, seeing around 6.15 million outbound Chinese tourists, up by seven percent year-on-year.

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The travel peak fell on Jan. 27, which is the first day of the seven-day holiday. It saw 50.5 million visitors, up 10.4 percent year-on-year, Xinhua reported. Last year, China raked in 3.9 trillion yuan ($567 billion), and Beijing wants to raise as much as seven trillion yuan ($1 trillion) by the end of the decade.

China's tourism sector is essential in the country's attempts to pivot towards a service-driven economy. Its retail and catering firms raked in around 840 billion yuan ($122 billion) during the seven-day holiday that ended on Thursday, up by 11.4 percent year on year.

During Chinese New Year, the mainland witnessed numerous activities and events including winter sports competition and flower exhibitions. With millions of tourists flocking parks and historic areas, the country's national security forces took stringent measures to ensure peace and order. About 178,000 policemen were deployed on Saturday, according to the Chinese Ministry of Public Security.

By the end of the decade, investment in tourism is anticipated to increase to two trillion yuan ($291 billion) and to contribute over 12 percent GDP, according to the State Council's five-year tourism plan.

Check out how the rest of the world welcomed the Year of the Rooster in the video below.

TagsChinese New Year, Lunar New Year, Year of the Rooster, Chinese holiday, China Tourism, Spring festival