China will surpass France to become the world's leading tourist
destination and will be the fourth tourist-generating country by
the year 2020, the World Tourism Organization forecast
yesterday.
Francesco Frangialli, secretary-general of the organization,
said China will achieve a historic transformation, becoming not
only a huge Asian tourist nation but a giant among the world's
tourism leaders in the next two decades.
Frangialli made his remarks at the 15th session of the general
assembly of the World Tourism Organization, which is being held now
through October 24 in Beijing.
In a speech yesterday at the event, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
said the tourism industry is a new but truly dynamic part of the
economy of China, and it will become a pillar industry by 2020.
According to long-term goals stated by the China National
Tourism Administration (CNTA), inbound arrivals to China will reach
210 million within two decades, and the total tourist income will
surpass 2,500 billion yuan (US$302 billion), or 8-11 percent of the
country's gross domestic product.
Meanwhile, China has become a fast-growing, tourist attraction
in Asia and even the world.
The Chinese government has approved Cuba, Croatia, Hungary and
Pakistan as nations it hopes Chinese tourists will visit beginning
November 1.
So far, China has approved 28 destination countries and regions
open to Chinese nationals to make self-supported tours, and another
20 other candidate nations are on a waiting list to become
destinations, according to Zhang Xiqin, vice-chairman of the
CNTA.
In August 2003, the number of Chinese outbound travelers reached
2.1 million, increasing by 34.5 percent compared with the same
period last year.
From January to August, the total number of Chinese outbound
travelers was 11.8 million, with an increase of 15 percent
year-on-year, according to the latest statistics from the State
tourism authority.
The World Tourism Organization is an inter-governmental tourism
organization with 141 countries as full members, seven associate
members and more than 320 affiliate members. The organization will
be transformed into a specialized agency of the United Nations in
early November.
(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2003)