At the Boao Forum for Asia -- Tourism Conference currently underway in the scenic city of Guilin, Sun said China has drafted and issued 17 tourism-related standards.

China first issued the standards for star-rated hotels in 1987,marking the start of tourism standardization. In 1999, China issued a quality control mechanism for scenic spots, or the first set of national tourism standards.

Thus far, the Beijing Badaling section of the Great Wall and Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai have obtained 4A certificates, the highest level for a scenic spot, and 122 Chinese cities have earned the title of "good tourist city."

China now has a comprehensive standardization system with regard to tourism infrastructure, management, and service. The standards cover all aspects, including tourist boats, toilets, souvenirs, travel service and environment protection, Sun said.

China's tourism standardization has ensured the healthy and orderly development of tourism and has brought the industry into compliance with international standards, laying a solid foundation for China to become one of the world's major tourism destinations.

The World Tourism Organization projects that, in 2020, China will be the world's leading tourist destination and the world's fourth largest tourist source country.

China's tourism industry is expected to score 20 billion US dollars in foreign currency earnings this year, compared with 10.2billion US dollars in 1996.

Against the backdrop of last year's global downturn in the industry, China's tourism industry recorded a growth of 9.7 percent. In the first nine months of this year, the total number of tourists increased by 10.8 percent year-on-year, of which overseas arrivals rose 21 percent.

China's tourism industry is expected to earn between 24 billion to 26 billion dollars by the year 2005, Sun said.

(People's Daily November 19, 2002)