Tourism in China
Tourism in China has greatly expanded over the last few decades since the beginning of
reform and opening. The emergence of a newly rich
middle class
and an easing of restrictions on movement by the Chinese authorities
are both fueling this travel boom. China has become one of the world's
most-watched and hottest inbound and outbound tourist markets. The world
is on the cusp of a sustained Chinese tourism boom.
[1]
China is the third most visited country in the world. The number of overseas tourists was 55.98 million in 2010.
[2] Foreign exchange income was 45.8 billion
U.S. dollars,
the world's fourth largest in 2010. The number of domestic tourist
visits totaled 1.61 billion, with a total income of 777.1 billion yuan.
[1]
According to the
WTO,
in 2020, China will become the largest tourist country and among the
largest for overseas travel. In terms of total outbound travel spending,
China is expected to be the fastest growing in the world from 2006 all
the way to 2015, jumping into the number two slot for total travel
spending by 2015.
[1]
China's growing economy is also generating a surge in business
travel. In China, the percentage of sales dependent on business travel
is higher (38%) as compared to the US (21%) and 28% in the UK, according
to the World Travel & Tourism Council's 2013 business travel
forecast for the Asia-Pacific region.
[3]