China's State Administration of Tourism is considering creating a two and a half day weekend in the country by summer. This is to give families more time to bond and boost local tourism.

Several municipalities and provinces such as Chonqing, Hebei and Jiangxi are urging companies to implement a 2.5-day weekends. The new initiative will cover all sectors including government, joint ventures, state-owned and private companies and allocate incentives to permit employees to go home by Friday noon and report back to the office on Monday.

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Since it was announced last November, it has received mixed reactions and even the State Council says it could stimulate advantageous conditions, as it provides longer family time among families. Also, Beijing Tourism Society's deputy-secretary general Liu Simin revealed it could encourage more weekend getaways.

However, Liu cited three points of the new policy's limited scope, suggesting that it will only be of benefit to some certain group of people. First, he said, it is merely a suggestion and not a compulsory rule to follows. Second, the plan is conditional. And lastly, it is only applicable during summer months and not for the whole year round. "Because of these stipulations, the coverage of the 2.5-day is going to be very limited," he noted.

Meanwhile, Chongqing's Tourism Bureau vice director Qin Dingbo has made it clear that not all companies are required to adapt the 2.5-weekend scheme. "This means the program can't effect companies legal obligations, production or overall business," he noted. As for state-run establishments, the extended leave program can be adjusted based on the company's needs so as not to cause negative impact on its efficiency.

Under the new law, the 40-hour working hour is still to be complied, so employees basically need to make up for the hours during the week. In 1995, China initially implemented the country-wide 2-day weekend policy.

Tagstourism, china, long weekend, Summer