Chinese Tourism 中国旅游业

[everywhere]

Tragedies of failed Chinese tourist towns
(Shanghai Daily, Aug. 24)

ZHENGZHOU, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Visitors to Runan County, branded the hometown of the "butterfly lovers," China's answer to Romeo and Juliet, find a scene of desolation.

A lone archway stands in front of a run-down village. Dying trees flank an empty promenade leading to two ramshackle gravestones, whose fading epitaphs suggest they belong to Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, figures portrayed in a classic Chinese folklore as having turned into butterflies after society rejected their union.

Most structures are new, hinting at the place's great ambitions not so long ago, but now the scene tells a story of how a Chinese town eager to dig up its cultural gold in the rush toward prosperity has ground to an embarrassing standstill.

more: http://www.shanghaidaily.org/article...a.asp?id=90910

[everywhere]

China eyes tourism development through legislation
(China Daily, Aug. 27)

BEIJING -- Chinese lawmakers Monday started the first deliberation of a draft law on tourism, aiming to promote the development of the country's booming travel industry.

The draft includes operating standards for travel businesses and scenic areas, as well as a clause that prohibits travel agencies from forcing tourists to purchase goods.

more: http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/busi...t_15709069.htm


China to boost tourism in Tibet
(China Daily, Aug. 30)

LHASA -- China's top tourism official on Thursday pledged special support to boost tourism in Tibet and make it a "pillar industry" for the plateau region.

The National Tourism Administration has decided to issue special policies for Tibet to help it develop infrastructure, attract investment and visitors, improve services and develop key tourist destinations, said Shao Qiwei, head of the administration.

"Tibet has abundant tourism resources, many of which are so unique and appealing to both domestic and foreign visitors," Shao said at a tourism workshop held in Lhasa, capital of Tibet autonomous region. "The prospect for development is huge."

more: http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/busi...t_15721848.htm

[big-dog]

from The Economist

International tourism

Have yuan, will travel

China’s new middle class goes farther for its holidays

Sep 1st 2012 | SHANGHAI

YANG RONGLIN, a teacher, usually spends his summer holidays in China. This year Mr Yang, who is 50, decided to venture abroad for the first time, booking a two-week coach tour of America. Mr Yang joins a multitude of Chinese tourists venturing overseas. In the first half of this year 38m Chinese took international trips, 18% more than in the same period last year. In 2011 they spent $73 billion while travelling abroad, third only to Germans and Americans.



...

[everywhere]

China, US exchange tourism boom
(China Daily, Sept. 19)

China and the United States have become each other's fourth-largest tourist destinations, with nearly 3.5 million tourists traveling between the two countries last year, according to China's top tourism official.

Shao Qiwei, head of China's National Tourism Administration, said on Tuesday that more than 1.36 million Chinese travelers visited the US last year, an annual increase of 17.6 percent. The number of US travelers to China reached more than 2.11 million last year.

"I believe that the number of tourists traveling between China and the US will reach 5 million in 2015," Shao said at the sixth China-US Tourism Leadership Summit held in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, on Tuesday.

more: http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/us/2012...t_15766657.htm

[hakz2007]

UNWTO, China vow to strengthen cooperation

MADRID, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Director of the National Tourism Administration of China Shao Qiwei and Secretary General of the United Nationals World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai have reached agreement to strengthen cooperation on tourism, the UNWTO said on Monday.

The announcement comes less than a week after Shao was handed the first ever UNWTO Lifetime Achievement Award in the UNWTO offices in the Spanish capital city of Madrid.

Read more