"In 1995, the company rewarded me with a trip to Hainan. I was so proud and cherished it very much," recalled a Shanghai taxi driver surnamed Guo, 54. "Now, our income has increased a lot, travel becomes a routine for most people who are willing to pay their own money to relax."

Thirty years ago, ideal tourism resources were lacking, said Lu Guojun, a clerk with Shanghai Huangpu River Cruise Group Co, Ltd, citing the swaths of croplands along the eastern coast of the river which flows through the city center.