Tourism plans up in the air, summit hears

His words were echoed by Cao Yunchun, an economics professor at the Civil Aviation University of China, who said all the top tourist destinations such as London and Tokyo boast of their sophisticated air services.

"Ten years ago, city governments in China were reluctant to take over airports from civil aviation authorities because they regarded them as a financial burden. Now most local governments are very enthusiastic about building new airports," he said. "It is because they have realized that airports as well as civil aviation are of great significance in developing the economy and improving their capability for receiving tourists."

He cited Dubai in the United Arab Emirates as an excellent example of how the development of the civil aviation sector can lift transportation and tourism industries.

"Investment in civil aviation will definitely inject huge momentum in the tourism field."

Professor Lindsay Turner, head of the School of Applied Economics at ictoria University in Australia, said a far-flung airline network will facilitate travelers to reach second- and third-tier cities, which were traditionally impossible to visit by tourists because of inconvenient transportation, thereby subsequently increasing interest in local culture and scenic spots and promoting tourism.

At least 60 percent of foreign tourists making trips to China come here by air, according to Zhong Shan, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China's statistics and analysis center.

She said the civil aviation industry brought more than 180 billion yuan ($29.4 billion) in benefits to the Chinese tourism sector in 2010, the most recent year that has such data.