BEIJING, May 5 -- Beijing received about 16.97 million tourists and achieved a tourism revenue of 19.62 billion yuan (around 2.7 billion U.S. dollars) during the May Day holiday, according to the municipal bureau of culture and tourism on Sunday.

This marked a year-on-year increase of 9.4 percent and 10.2 percent respectively, both reaching historical highs for the same period.

The capital city organized over 2,700 cultural and tourism activities to attract visitors during the five-day holiday, including countryside trips and various performances.

Data indicated that the top tourist destinations in the city included historical attractions, business districts, and parks.

Rural tourism in Beijing welcomed 2.86 million visitors, a 22.9-percent increase year on year, raking in 340 million yuan, up 24.3 percent from the same period last year.

This year's May Day holiday ran from May 1 to 5.