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China heading for top tourism spot

(Agencies/chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-07-02 13:35

One explanation for China's appeal is the wide variety of destinations on offer, he said.

In the world's most populous nation, a tourist can find tranquility in the remote mountains of Tibet, visit ancient archaeological sites such as the Terracotta Warriors in Xian, climb the Great Wall, party in the big cities, relax on a southern island beach and eat several types of Chinese food.

"There is no typical tourist, so the range is very wide from budget to luxury," Bouladou said.

With China in high demand, Air France-KLM is boosting capacity, notably offering five extra flights per week to Shanghai this summer.

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"We have very strong bookings," said Air France's director for greater China, Frank Legre.

The economic impacts for China of its tourism industry are stunning.

This year alone China's tourism industry is expected to generate US$78 billion, 2.5 percent ofGDP, a figure that could rise to US$277 billion by 2017, according to the World Tourism Organisation.

In Beijing, China's top tourist draw, revenue from the industry is growing at about seven percent a year, accounting for around eight percent of the city'sgross domestic product, according to official figures.

The broader impact of the thriving sector on the rest of the economy is huge, accounting for 440 billion dollars this year and up to 1.6 trillion by 2017, the World Tourism Organisation said.