China's tourism sector is booming as the Labor Day holiday break approaches, The Beijing News reported on Monday.

Air ticket bookings for the five-day holiday, which starts on May 1, considerably exceed that of the same period in 2019, and are over 25 times the number for the same period a year earlier. The average ticket price paid was 924 yuan ($141), up more than 20 percent over 2019, according to figures from Qunar, an online travel agency.

The number of passengers traveling by air will increase significantly starting April 28, Qunar showed, and on April 30 the number will reach its peak, even exceeding the number on May 1.

Beijing will be the most popular city for departure and destination during the May Day holiday, according to online travel agency ly.com. Boosted by strong demand, air ticket prices of some popular routes departing from Beijing have risen sharply, and the average fare exceeds that of the same period of 2019.

The most favored destinations of travelers from Beijing include Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Sanya, Xi'an and Hangzhou, ly.com showed. Beijing also is one of the most popular destinations during the upcoming holiday for its rich sightseeing opportunities.