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Tourism Industry to Boom in China: Experts
As China integrates with the global economy, its tourism industry is expected to boom in the next five years.
"During the past decade, I have been extremely impressed by the rapid and constant growth of China's tourism industry and deeply believe that it will enjoy more rapid growth in the future." according to Francesco Frangialli, the secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization (WTO).
"The liberalization of the tourism industry, sustainability, and new technologies will provide remarkable potential for its future growth." he said Monday on the High-Level Meeting on the WTO's Development Cooperation in China.
The World Tourism Organization's forecasts indicated that by 2020, China is to be one of the world's leading tourism destinations, overtaking traditional destinations such as France, Spain and the United States.
By that time, China will receive 145 million visitors, of which foreigners will be 33.5 million, generating 75 billion dollars of foreign income. Meanwhile, the domestic tourism revenue will rise to 270 million yuan (8.23 yuan equals 1 US dollar).
In the past few years, the tourism industry has kept a strong momentum thanks to the high growth rate of the market economy and active fiscal policy by the government. In twenty years, the tourism industry will represent 8 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
"Chinese government has implemented a series of strategic measures to provide a better platform for the tourism industry, such as encouraging inbound visitors, fostering more domestic visitors, improving tourist facilities and services, diversifying and broadening its tourism product base, and undertaking intensive development of the western provinces." according to He Guangwei, director of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).
In the next five years, China will develop various tourism products including ecological ones and leisure ones to satisfy the soaring international markets.
Chinese government is already paying attention to ecological sustainable development and protecting the environment. They vow to combine the cultural heritage with the modern society.
The tourism industry has developed continuously and rapidly along with the market economy and it has become now a sunrise industry.
By the end of 2000, tourism industry has had fixed assets of 600 billion yuan, with the total income surpassing 450 billion yuan. Last year, China received 873.5 million travelers, generating 16.2 billion dollars of foreign currency, 62 times that of 1978.
The WTO, the world's leading and the largest inter-governmental tourism organization, was founded in Madrid in 1975. It aims at promoting the worldwide tourism industry as well as the global peace and prosperity.
Since joining World Trade Organization in 1983, China has played a positive role in the programs of the organization. The organization has extended its technical assistance to China on a wide range of subjects.
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