China third biggest int'l tourism spender: official

SHANGHAI, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese have emerged as the third-biggest spenders in outbound tourism worldwide, a senior official of China's National Tourism Administration (CNTA) said on Wednesday.

Li Shihong, head of the CNTA's Department of Tourism Promotion and International Liaison, made the announcement at a news conference before the opening of the China International Travel Mart (CITM) this year.

China has also been the third-largest tourism destination in the world, CNTA data shows.

The CITM 2012, jointly hosted by the CNTA, the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the Shanghai Municipal Government, will be held in Shanghai New International Expo Center from November 15 to 18.

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