Foreign Exchange Earnings from Tourism Hit US$7.85 Billion

The National Tourism Office announced yesterday that the foreign exchange earnings from tourism reached US$7.85 billion in the first half of 2000, up 18.54% compared with the same period last year.

The increase in the number of tourists entering China has been in double-digits since the start of the year. 40.14 million tourists entered China in the first half of this year, a 15.72% increase over the same period last year. The number of the foreigners, Macao compatriots and Taiwan compatriot entering China all grew more than 20%.

Looking at the major sources of foreign tourists, the number of tourists visiting China from all the major continents increased by double-digit figures. Asia's tourists to China increased 24.4% while Europe's increased 21.14%. In the 15 major home countries of China's foreign tourists, 11 of them maintained a double-digit increase. Tourists from Korea increased 40% and more than 30% in Russia and the Philippines.

People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/