China the world’s third largest tourism market

China’s rapidly growing tourism industry is not showing any sign of slowing down with recent figures reporting the country has become the third largest tourism market in the world.

According to a report issued by the National Tourist Administration (NTA) China’s total income from inbound and outbound tourism for the last five years leading up to 2010, totals a whooping six trillion Yuan, Xinhuanet.com reported.

During the past 16 years from 1994 to 2010, China’s total tourism income has increased 11-fold, with the last five years having received 9.3 billion people.
National Tourism Administration Director Shao Qiwei said the figures indicate we have created the biggest domestic tourism market.

“Additionally we are the third largest tourism destination in the world, at the same time, we’ve become the biggest Asian country for people travelling to overseas countries,” Shao Qiwei said.

The report reveals that the tourism industry has largely supported economic growth in China, contributing over 90 percent to the hotel business, and over 80 percent to the aviation and railway sector.

While at the same time created nearly 14 million jobs in the tourism industry alone and 60 million jobs in other areas.
“Tourism has progressed economic development in rural areas, last year over 400 million people visited the Chinese countryside. Rural tourism has benefited about 20 million farmers,” Shao Qiwei said.

During the past five years, China has signed cooperation plans with the U.S., Russia, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.

Looking ahead China is anticipated to generate 100 million new outbound departures each year from now to 2015.

Likewise Guilin is predicted to have welcomed up to 30 million tourists in 2011.

According to statistics released by tourism authorities, the sub-tropical city welcomed up to 1.5 million foreign travellers during the first 11 months of 2011, up 29.7 percent compared to the same period 2010, Xinhua News reported.

The city’s tourism bureau deputy director Chen Yunchun explained that the rise was due to the city’s offerings including natural landscapes and local culture.

Along with the increasing number of visitors, the city also received up to 19.7 billion Yuan in tourism revenue up 30.5 percent compared to the corresponding 11 months the prior year.