Travel News
- China's tourism set to be world's No. 2
Date: 31-Jan-2007 Sources: (Xinhua Online)
GLOBAL tourism hit a record high last year and China could soon surpass Spain as the world's second most popular destination, after France, the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said.
A 4.5 percent global rise in tourist numbers pushed the 2006 figure to a record 842 million, the Madrid-based United Nations agency said, forecasting an increase of 4.0 percent for 2007.
As well as sending millions of tourists abroad in recent years, China is set to receive more visitors than Spain by 2010, UNWTO Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli said.
UNWTO figures for 2006 showed arrivals to China had increased 6 percent on the previous year at 49.6 million, despite higher costs due to an appreciating yuan.
Spain's tourist intake rose 4.5 percent to 58.4 million in 2006, but China's growth is forecast to accelerate and overtake Spain in the coming four years, the UNWTO said.
'A country as big as China has more tourist capacity. China is generating a flux of tourism in the region,'said John Kester, UNWTO director of market intelligence and promotion.
Figures for France in 2006 were not immediately available but the UNWTO expects almost no change on the 75.9 million visitors in 2005.
The number of tourists from China to other countries has soared since China signed an Authorized Destination Status accord with the European Union allowing its nationals to visit 22 EU states on a visa in 2004.
Legislation has since opened up 132 countries to mainland residents of the world's most populous nation.
'China is consolidating its status as Asia's largest outbound tourism market as 34.5 million Chinese traveled abroad in 2006,'an 11 percent rise on 2005, the UNWTO said, quoting the Ministry of Public Security.
Chinese tourist spending abroad rose 16 percent in 2006 to an estimated US$25.3 billion, according to provisional figures.
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