The National Tourism Administration says China’s tourism industry has achieved large scale development.
In 2008, travellers on domestic tours made some 1.7 billion visits. That’s up 6% from the year before. Although the number of inbound tourists dropped a litle to 53 million, the number of outbound tourists was up 12%, reaching 45 million.
The tourism industry achieved RMB1.14 trillion in total revenues in 2008.
Meanwhile, the number of scenic spots remains fairly static at nearly 20-thousand. And a total of 15-thousand star hotels are operational, nationwide.
Shao Qiwei, director, said, national tourism admin, said, ‘Large scale doesn’t necessarily mean high quality. We will change the development patterns of the tourism industry from quantity expansion… to quality improvement. By doing so, the sector will be able to achieve better profits and sustainable development. And this will in turn help boost the overall economy in China.’
CCTV.com reported China’s tourism authorities have expressed their confidence about the strong growth in the country’s tourism industry. They say China’s thirty years of reform and opening-up has established a solid foundation for the sector’s development.