Official: Domestic tourism could offset inbound slump

The head of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) said on Tuesday that inbound tourism in China was down by 1.9% in the first 10 months of the year compared to the same period last year, state media reported. Speaking at an industry conference, Shao Qiwei said that the trend is expected to continue. The numbers of South Korean and Japanese tourists visiting China declined at particularly sharp rates. At the same time, outbound tourism continues to increase, up 14% from the same period last year. Shao suggested that stimulating domestic tourism should help offset the decline in foreign tourists to Chinese destinations. He also stated that the CNTA continues to promote the paid holiday system as a domestic tourism booster.