BEIJING, Jan 25 (AP) -- China's airlines, trains and bus and ferry companies are bracing for a flood of passengers as tens of millions of Chinese head for their hometowns for the Lunar New Year holiday, an annual migration that officially began Tuesday, state media said.

Over the next 40 days, travelers in the world's most populous nation are expected to make 1.97 billion trips -- up 3.4 percent from last year, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

The Lunar New Year, which this year begins Feb. 9, is the most important family holiday in China and ethnic Chinese communities around the world, and is the key season for the country's tourism industries. Airlines and China's railways raise ticket prices to take advantage of the surge in travel.

China's transportation network has long been pushed to its limits during the holiday, while a booming economy in recent years has seen the number of travelers soar.

The number of migrants who work in the country's rapidly growing cities and go home once a year for the holiday has also expanded enormously.

China's trains will see 145 million passengers, or nearly 4 million each day, a 3.5 percent increase over last year, Xinhua said.

The Railway Ministry has said it will add 39 express trains and four standby trains this year. It will also crack down on the rampant trade in fake or black market tickets that has arisen due to the high demand for seats during the holidays.

Airline passengers are expected to make 12.6 million trips, an increase of 12.5 percent over last year, while 1.79 billion trips will be made by car or bus, an increase of 3.5 percent, Xinhua said.

Ferry passengers will make 27 million trips, the same as last year, it said.