According to Beijing Tourism Administration, travel agencies in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan that have organized visits by more than 5,000 tourists to Beijing will be awarded 100,000 yuan, and those have organized 10,000 tourists to visit Beijing will be granted 200,000 yuan?in subsidies.

Zhang Huiguang, the director of BTA, said at a press conference on the development of Beijing's tourism sector that in the first half of 2009, a total of 85.4 million tourists had visited Beijing, an increase of 20.8% year-on-year and total tourism revenues have reached 127.1 billion yuan, an increase of 14.6%.

In addition, about 50 people from Beijing's tourism sector, hotels and scenic spots will go to Taiwan to promote six tourism products. A local website will be launched to publish tourism information about Beijing.

(China Hospitality News August 3, 2009)