China has the potential to become the world's leading tourist destination, overtaking traditional favorites such as France, Spain and the United States by 2020, according to a top official of the World Tourism Organization.

By 2020, it is anticipated 145 million tourists will travel in China, including 33.5 million overseas tourists, generating US$75 billion for the tourism industry.

Domestic tourism is expected to generate 2,700 billion yuan (US$326.5 billion). Tourism revenues could make up 8 percent of China's gross domestic product (GDP).

Speaking at a high-level tourism meeting held in Beijing yesterday, the organization's Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli said China is making concerted efforts to develop its tourism industry to match the anticipated increase in tourist numbers.

"China's main development strategies include increasing inbound tourism, fostering more domestic tourism, improving tourist facilities and services, diversifying and broadening its tourism product base, and undertaking intensive development of the western regions," the secretary-general said.

"I am also pleased to note that the government is facilitating overseas travel of Chinese people, thereby making a significant contribution to the international tourism industry and I am sure that the day is not very far away when China will become a reference point in the tourism market for both inbound and outbound tourism."

Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics indicated that overseas tourists were up by 14.3 percent and foreign exchange income earned from tourism was up by 15.1 percent in China last year.

A total of 10.5 million Chinese tourists went abroad in 2000, which represents an increase of 32 percent, while domestic tourism grew by 3.5 percent with earnings increasing by 12.1 percent.

However, the increases have masked the fact that Chinese tourism is still in its infancy, said Kerstin Leitner, a representative for the United Nations Development Program.

"In 2000, 10.2 million tourists came to China from abroad while in France the figure was 80 million, which exceeds the total French population," Leitner said.

(China Daily 03/20/2001)