# China's Travel Industry



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*China's travel industry to rival U.S. -report *

BEIJING, April 25 (Reuters) - China will grab the world's second-largest share of global travel and tourism spending after the United States by 2016, an industry body said in a report published this week. 

"We're all running very fast to keep up with the changes that are taking place," the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) quoted its president, Jean-Claude Baumgarten, as saying at the launch of the group's report just three years after its last one. 

"Although we would normally wait five or even 10 years before returning to a country to update the report, it is clear that China's travel and tourism industry is moving at the speed of light," he said. 

The WTTC report for China, Hong Kong and Macau forecast that China's tourism demand -- comprised of consumption, investment, government spending and exports -- will grow by an average 8.7 percent per annum between 2007 and 2016. 

It said China's tourism demand will grow by 14 percent this year alone to 2.77 trillion yuan ($345.7 billion). 

Foreign visitors' spending will account for 588.2 billion yuan ($73.41 billion), representing 7.4 percent of China's total exports in 2006, the report said. 

Travel and tourism will directly account for 2.9 percent of China's total GDP in 2006, and its combined direct and indirect economic impact is expected to account for 13.7 percent. 

China's tourism industry will directly employ over 17 million people, with related employment from capital investment and government spending to total over 77 million jobs in 2006. 

The report made a raft of recommendations to improve China's tourism and travel industry, including establishing paid vacations to encourage Chinese workers to travel more and promoting English language skills. 

Despite the rapid growth of the country's tourism industry, China remains a challenging destination for international visitors due to poor infrastructure and a dearth of foreign language skills. ($1=8.012 Yuan)


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Chinese flee overseas for lunar new year cheer *

BEIJING, Feb 14 (Reuters Life!) - Clutching plane tickets in the teeming departure hall of Beijing airport, Wang Wei is happy he isn't going to his hometown for Chinese New Year. 

The 36-year-old engineer is one of thousands escaping China's frosty northern winter and defying the tradition of spending the lunar new year holiday with family at home. 

"Of course, we will miss seeing the parents and relatives, but it will be nice to get some warm weather in Thailand," Wang said, as he corralled his family around him. The lunar new year starts on Feb. 18. 

The trickle of outward bound tourists may be swamped by the more than 2 billion domestic bus, train and boat trips ferrying people between hometowns and adopted cities -- a phenomenon dubbed the "world's greatest human migration". 

But as incomes rise, China's swelling ranks of cashed-up pleasure-seekers have taken to overseas travel with gusto. 

Liang Yuli, a travel agent with state-run China International Travel Service, said her office sold out most tickets to overseas flights a month before the lunar new year starts on Feb. 18. 

"The demand for overseas travel this year has been incredible," said Liang. "It was quite unexpected... People want to go overseas simply because they can now." 

Most Chinese employees are still confined to three, state-sanctioned "golden" weeks of holidays falling in May, October and the start of the lunar new year in early spring. 

But instead of spending them with family as usual, more and more Chinese are opting to go abroad to shop, see the sites or lounge on a palm-fringed beach instead. 

The number of overseas trips has soared over the past decade, with some 35 million trips in 2006 compared to 620,000 trips in 1990, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. 

With the average disposable income rising, and the yuan steadily gaining against the U.S. dollar, more Chinese can now afford to travel abroad. 

Travel restrictions have also loosened in recent years. From having only six approved countries to visit in 1999, tourists can choose from 129 as of December 2006. 

*ITCHY FEET *

Chinese tourists used to make forays mainly to nearby countries like South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia, but now South Africa, Egypt and even Malta attract growing numbers. 

But this surge in outbound travellers is proving too much for China's creaky, but rapidly developing, tourism infrastructure. 

About a third of passengers wait for hours for flights at airports strained beyond capacity, according to state media. 

These travellers should count themselves lucky they can get on a plane at all, said Zhu Dahong, a 25-year-old Beijing office worker who will spend the new year in Hong Kong. 

A native of Weihai, in China's eastern Shandong province, Zhu clearly remembers the sleepless, 17-hour train journeys back home where he was crammed in carriages with hundreds of students and poor migrant workers. 

"It's not enjoyable at all. It's very uncomfortable -- and you must keep an eye on your belongings at all times." 

The stress of the holiday crush is enough to put many young Chinese off staying home, especially when family gatherings are boring and routine, said Zhao Ran, a 24-year-old auditor. 

"I've been doing this for over 20 years," said Zhao, who spent last new year in Thailand with a friend. "I want to escape these stuffy traditions and try different things." 

"I think people flying overseas for the holidays is a good thing. It means we are learning to change," he added. 

The need for change is a sentiment travel agent Liang hears constantly when arranging beach holidays or shopping tours. 

"People often they think that they can be with their families and eat delicious food at any time," Liang said. "But there are not so many chances to travel internationally. People want something new -- not to just sit at home and watch television." ($1=7.749 Yuan)


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*FEATURE-Adventurous young Chinese hit backpacking trail alone *

BEIJING, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Armed with backpacks, sleeping bags, budget travel guides, and hunger for a wider world long beyond their reach, backpackers from China are likely to be heading to a youth hostel near you. 

Loosened travel restrictions and a booming economy mean that growing numbers of young Chinese have visas and cash to travel abroad as never before -- and many of them are opting for the free-wheeling coming-of-age journeys of counterparts in the West. 

"Travel has changed my attitude toward the world in every aspect of life and work," said Cao Jiyin, 24, a psychology graduate from the eastern city of Hangzhou, who last summer roamed around India. 

It's a dramatic change from past decades, when Communist China was isolated from the world and travel abroad was a rare privilege available only to a politically favoured elite. 

These days with more open borders and money in their pockets, most Chinese tourists opt for rigid package tours abroad. 

But a growing band of young Chinese travel independently all over their own country, and now also backpack across Europe, Africa and other exotic destinations. 

"Travel today has become fashionable for the young generation," Cai Jinghui, head of guidebook publisher Lonely Planet's Chinese-language editions, told Reuters. 

"For young people, group travel is not real travel. It is a signal that you don't have the ability to explore," added Cai, sitting in a fashionable cafe crowded with Chinese and foreign backpackers. 

HIGH DEMAND 

Lonely Planet, the producer of hundreds of guides to exotic spots, started publishing Chinese editions only last year. It sold out all 5,000 copies of its initial run of Chinese-language Europe guides within one month. 

Its goal now is to recruit young Chinese backpackers to write guide books for Chinese travellers with special attention to their own likes-and-dislikes -- such as finding a Chinese restaurant in Rome. 

"We realized that we had underestimated the market for the European guide, we did not expect such high demand," Cai said. 

The number of overseas trips from China has soared over the past decade, with some 35 million trips in 2006, compared to just 620,000 trips in 1990, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. 

This surge in overseas travel has matched China's rapid economic growth, as an urban middle class enjoys the benefits of double-digit growth. 

Domestic tourism is also booming. Around 150 million people took to the road, rail and air during this year's "golden week" Labour Day holiday in May. 

Independent travel and backpacking have become so popular that for the past five years Hu Deng, a professor at China's People's University, has taught China's only "Independent Travel" class. 

His classes are always full and up to 500 students pack the auditorium, many of them standing, eager to learn how to survive tough-looking visa officers, unfamiliar foods and faces, and jostling for a cheap bed. 

"I am just a window, and through me they can find a very different world," explained Hu. "I think independent travel allows us to better respect each other." 

One industry that has benefited from this surge in travel is travel outfitting stores. The Wu Dao Kou area in Beijing's university district has seen an explosion in outdoor and travel related stores. 

These stores stock everything from North Face backpacks to crampons for mountain climbing -- or at least the cheap copies that China is notorious for. For some image-conscious young Chinese, having the right gear is essential. 

"Some may have very advanced equipment to show off how professional they are," said Cai Xiaomei, a backpacker from the eastern coastal city of Xiamen. 

But others are looking for the transforming experiences that come with distant places. Chen Xi, 21, from the southwestern city of Chongqing, has backpacked in Turkey, India, Pakistan and South Korea. 

"It's important to spend more time in a few places rather than seeing many places in the same amount of time," she said. 

"Many of my friends want to hear about my stories, but they don't want to go to these places themselves." 

VISA PROBLEMS 

But Chinese backpackers run up against bureaucratic obstacles many of their Western counterparts do not. 

Few countries give visa-free entry to Chinese citizens. Getting hold of a visa can be hard and sometimes expensive, with painfully long queues and no certainty of approval. 

"Visas are the most difficult issue for us," said Chen. "This past summer I was rejected for a Nigerian visa." 

When they do make it abroad, China's backpackers can then find themselves treated as awkward ambassadors for their country, peppered with questions about the Olympic Games, human rights and other contentious topics. 

Not the cool experience that these young travellers yearn for. 

"I am not a good arguer," Cai said of these encounters. "I just told them what my opinions on these issues were, but didn't really talk about them deeply."


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Postcard: Shenzhen *
10 December 2007
Time


















_Happy Valley contains over 50 attractions.









Happy Valley in Beijing is modeled on a western park with six "lands": Firth Forest, Aegean Sea, Atlantis, Lost Maya, Shangri-La and Ant Kingdom, shown in this photo. 




























Shenzhen's Windows of the World park recreates the entire planet, in small, easily digested sections. In this photo, the heads of Kon-Tiki can be glimpsed behind Manhattan's pre-9/11 skyline. 









A Chinese man wears a replica of a space suit, at the Space Travel Theme Park in Beijing. The capsule behind him is a copy of the U.S. Mercury module. 









A genuine Soviet aircraft carrier is the main attraction at the Minsk World theme park in Shenzhen. The vessel features models of its original weapons system and MiG fighter jets on the flying deck. 









A woman and her son enter a pyramid at Beijing's Egyptian Theme Park. 









A performer breathes fire at Guilin's Merryland. The complex includes a five star hotel and golf course. 









Three jockeys pilot ostriches down a racecourse at the Wild Animal Park in Shanghai. _

As the Chinese middle class expands, so does its curious appetite for foreign-themed amusement parks. Behind the scenes at China's very own Swiss alpine resort. 

Lederhosen, fondue and dried-seaweed snacks? Guten Tag from Shenzhen! Nestled in rolling hills outside this southern boomtown is China's very own version of Interlaken. No detail of the famed Swiss alpine resort appears to have been ignored in this local facsimile, from ski chalets, mineral baths and roasting sausages to the fräulein in braids who greets you on arrival. Perhaps the only thing missing from this Chinese alpine idyll is, well, snow. 

The resort, known as OCT East, is just the latest of dozens of foreign-themed parks springing up all over China. Shanghai has its Weimar Village, Beijing has Greek villas, and Hong Kong has its very own Disneyland--all built in hopes of cashing in on the deepening pockets of a growing middle class eager to absorb Western culture. Tourism revenue now accounts for 6% of China's GDP (or more than $600 billion), and the industry is expected to grow 10% annually for the next five years. The World Tourism Organization predicts China will be the globe's largest tourism market by 2020 

Shenzhen's Interlaken offers Chinese tourists a little taste of Europe closer to home. Its developer, Shenzhen OCT Sanzhou Investment, has sunk nearly $450 million into the park's 2,200 acres (890 hectares). Located on a crystal-clear man-made lake, the centerpiece is a 300-room, five-star hotel with a Gothic cathedral lobby and an Austrian chef. The drive for authenticity is relentless: last summer an alpine songfest even brought yodelers to the resort. You can tour the property aboard an antique railroad that circles it, or view it from the highest summit--some 50 ft. (15 m) above--before plunging down the slope on the gondola cum roller coaster. Says hotel event manager Selina Liu: "All of our guests say they forget they're not in Europe." 

That may be an exaggeration. After all, the vast majority of OCT East's visitors and its 3,000-person staff are ethnically Chinese--there just aren't that many Europeans on hand--and Shenzhen's average annual temperature is 75ºF (24ºC). A recent passenger on the scenic railroad snacked on boiled chicken feet, a local delicacy unlikely to be found in the Alps. Down a short path from the Swiss village is a working Chinese tea plantation, and each afternoon the development's 1,300-seat theater sells out its Zen Tea Show. Performed against the world's largest LCD screen, this hour-long spectacle combines ballet, kung fu and dancing teapots while reminding the audience of China's Buddhist roots. A mountaintop temple is being built nearby to ensure the resort's feng shui, and reminders of modern China are everywhere within the alpine resort itself. One of those quaint Swiss chalets is, in fact, a KFC outlet, while that "mist" rising from the hills is actually smog. 

The anticipated bonanza has yet to materialize for OCT East's investors, however. Since it opened in the summer, the resort has averaged about 2,000 visitors per day--about 4,000 fewer than the developers had hoped to attract during peak periods. But even more established theme parks have also struggled to attract visitors. In its first year, Hong Kong's Disneyland, which opened in September 2005, had about 15,000 visitors per day, about 40% of its capacity. And guests have complained about long lines and high prices at the amusement park. "It wasn't what I hoped for," says Alex Xu, who recently visited the park from Beijing. "I'd rather save my money and go to the real Disney World someday." 

In a country where per capita annual income remains below $2,000, OCT East's $20 entrance fee is an extravagance for many. Still, a local visitor, Zhang Zihua, says she'll return. "I want to bring my daughter," Zhang says. "I want her to work hard to travel to Europe when she's older." To lure the 10-year-old, Zhang is taking home an irresistible souvenir: a box of imported Swiss chocolates.


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## Paddington (Mar 30, 2006)

Looks nice.


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## mbuildings (May 6, 2007)

wow!!!!.......stunning place!!


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## jmok (Dec 30, 2006)

amazing theme park...


love it


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## oddstyle (Apr 11, 2006)

that is awesome......


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## TU 'cane (Dec 9, 2007)

Really cool.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Canada threatens China with WTO action over tourism ban *

OTTAWA, Jan 8, 2008 (AFP) - Canada's Trade Minister David Emerson said Tuesday he is ready to go to the World Trade Organization to try to force China to allow its citizens to visit his country, if the issue is not resolved soon. 

In a teleconference from Beijing, he accused Chinese officials of unfair discrimination in refusing to designate Canada an approved tourism destination, while granting more than 130 other countries the special status. 

After three years of fruitless negotiations, he said, "we really have got to the point where we have to move it along in a meaningful way in a relatively short time frame or we will have no choice but to explore the WTO option." 

The status quo "could do economic damage to Canada," he added, explaining that most foreign trips to the United States, which has been christened a favorable vacation spot by Beijing, include a stopover in Canada. 

Emerson refused to "speculate" on the reasons behind the stalemate, but observers have suggested Ottawa's fierce human rights criticisms of China may have hit a nerve. 

"Sure, we're hearing people express concern that there may be some atmospheric frictions out there that they're a little bit concerned about, but (Chinese officials) are wanting to move on," commented Emerson. 

In October, Beijing protested a meeting between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Dalai Lama in October, claiming the Nobel laureate is a dangerous figure agitating for Tibetan independence. 

The same month, Canada announced it would veto foreign takeovers of Canadian firms over national security concerns, if warranted. 

As well, it set out terms and conditions under which foreign state-owned companies -- sometimes guided by political motives -- would be allowed to acquire assets in Canada. 

Although most believed the new rules aimed to curb Chinese investment in Canada, particularly by the state-owned China Investment Corporation, Emerson dismissed their suspicions. 

"Canada is anxious to have Chinese investments," he insisted. 

The buyout guidelines "are designed not to discourage acquisitions by state-owned enterprises, but to ensure that when those companies acquire Canadian companies that they have governance systems and transparency arrangements in place and that they are operating as an economic, commercial corporation not as a political arm," he said.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Zhuhai's ocean park passes green test
Marine attraction nearer to construction *
11 April 2009
South China Morning Post

Zhuhai has moved one step closer to getting a massive ocean-themed entertainment centre, said to be the largest in Asia.

The 143-hectare Zhuhai Chime-Long Ocean World passed its preliminary environmental impact assessment on Wednesday, according to an announcement posted yesterday on the website of the Ministry of Environmental Protection's South China Institute of Environmental Science.

Preparation work is under way for a more detailed environmental study before construction begins in December. The project is expected to be completed in 2012.

A Zhuhai Chime-Long investment company plans to invest up to 3.05 billion yuan (HK$3.46 billion) in the park, the environmental impact assessment revealed.

The investment company belongs to Chime-Long Group, a theme park conglomerate based in Guangzhou's Panyu district.

The group runs a water theme park, a night-time zoo, a crocodile park, a wildlife park and several hotels in Guangdong.

The company declined to comment on the Zhuhai project, but a staff member involved said it was reportedly to be the biggest in Asia in terms of area.

Ocean World will have an ocean circus, night safari, convention centre, hotels and residential buildings, according to the Macao Daily News.

It will apparently be developed in several phases, with the first one entirely on land.

The park will be built on Zhuhai's Hengqin Island, which Beijing has designated as a base for the diversification of Macau's economy.

Just a few hundred metres from Macau's Cotai Strip, Hengqin is three times the size of Macau but has fewer than 7,000 residents. The place is well known for oyster breeding.

Hong Kong's Ocean Park is spending about HK$5.5 billion to redevelop its facilities.

A tourism expert in Hong Kong said he was not worried by the potential competition the new park could pose to Hong Kong's Ocean Park.

Joseph Tung Yao-chung, executive director of Hong Kong's Travel Industry Council, said: "Whether an ocean park is attractive or not depends very much on its facilities and whether it can provide a good education for kids.

"Size is not everything. I believe it will provide extra incentive for our park to be even better."

A Hong Kong Ocean Park spokeswoman said more theme parks in the region would provide customers with more choices and benefit their leisure lives.

Ocean Park was confident it would continue to thrive because of its unique attractions, she said.

Oyster restaurants in the neighbourhood of the future Zhuhai Ocean World said the city government had told them to move before the end of this year, to pave way for the theme park's construction.

"The government still hasn't told us how they will compensate us," a restaurant manager said.


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## goschio (Dec 2, 2002)

Do Chinese like western world so much that they copy it?

And why on earth do they copy American space theme? They have their own space program. LOL


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Life's a beach as summer and sand add to a festival of fun and frolics *
20 June 2009
Shanghai Daily

It's approaching that time of the year again when it's good to sneak out of the sultry summer heat of the downtown area and take a dip in cool sea water, time to switch off the aircon and take a stroll along a sandy beach.

If you are looking for a quick getaway from Shanghai to enjoy sun and surf, Sunny Beach (Bi Hai Jin Sha in Chinese) in Fengxian District just might be the ideal destination.

A two-month beach festival, featuring an international animation carnival, will be held this summer in the district's Haiwan Tourism Zone, a scenic bay area located in the city's southernmost tip. It runs from July 3 through the whole summer holiday till the end of August, and will probably be extended to early September.

The annual animation gala will include Cosplay shows, a beach beauty contest, rock band performances, concerts by pop stars from Hong Kong and China's mainland, animation films and dance performances by Taiwanese aborigines.

An area of more than 30,000 square meters has been set aside for the festival, including a rain forest theme park, a well-equipped chidren's zone, a square for video game fans and an open-air animation exhibition hall.

As well, a Gourmets' Town housing more than 120 restaurants and bars will be open this summer.

The animation carnival starts next month and will run the whole summer.

It is expected to attract more than 1 million tourists to the beach.

One of the highlights of the festival will be the lucky draw. Each night at 8pm during the festival there will be a draw from the day's admission tickets. Each night the very lucky ticket holder will win a car.

Runners-up will be given two Shanghai-Malaysia round-trip airline tickets, and third-prize winners will get electric bikes.

It is a good way to boost the bay's tourism industry this summer, says Xu Jianjun, a spokesman for the local government. "This animation festival, for the first time, combines the fashion industry, showbiz and beach tourism."

The festival's traditional Cosplay contest will be joined more than 120 teams from Japan, South Korea and China.

The Beach Beauty Competition will see more than 200 attractive young ladies parading their assets along the beach.

August will feature a Japanese Animation Festival, a very important part of the fun. Everyday from 9am to midnight, fans can get up close and comfortable with their favorite cartoon characters ¨® the omnipotent blue machine cat Doraemon, the mischievous Crayon Shin-Chan or the cute lazy Sakura Momoko.

The rain forest theme park will introduce some Chinese-made animation films to display and help boost the lackluster domestic animation industry.

The price of admission this year has risen steeply. Tickets from Monday to Friday will cost 120 yuan (US$17.70) and at the weekend will be 160 yuan, a big jump compared with last year's 50 yuan and 80 yuan admission costs.

To facilitate transport, shuttle bus lines between the city center and the beach will be launched from the Xinzhuang Metro Station, the Shanghai Stadium, the Shanghai Tourist Transport Center, the Yuanshen Stadium in Pudong New Area, and Huaihai and Xizang roads.

Sunny Beach boasts a long coastline, 654,700 square meters of water, 47,100 square meters of green belt and 70,000 square meters of man-made beach based on more than 120,000 tons of sand, transported from Hainan Island.

Tents, cabins and wooden paths are found along the beach. In the south, the 680,000 square meters of blue sea is set aside for sailing. The western area of the beach is a water sports zone, covering 1.51 million square meters.

The dock can accommodate up to 20 yachts, and tourists can enjoy a yacht ride or take a cruise in a motorboat.


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## Encore (Jul 22, 2005)

I'm a themepark and rollercoaster fan and I think Azia realy is making great progres when it comes to themeparks and rollercoaster constructions!


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*First individual Chinese tourists visit Japan *
8 July 2009
Agence France Presse

Japan on Wednesday welcomed the first Chinese tourists travelling individually rather than on tours, under visa changes that aim to lure more wealthy foreigners amid the recession.

Until now, Chinese tourists had to travel in groups escorted by tour guides from both countries, a rule meant to prevent illegal immigration.

But in response to growing demand, Tokyo started issuing visas to individual Chinese tourists this month.

At Tokyo's Narita Airport, Japan Airlines arranged a warm welcome for the 19 tourists from Beijing and Shanghai. They were greeted by a person dressed as Hello Kitty wearing a traditional Japanese kimono.

Several children arriving from China were given stuffed toys of the cartoon cat, which Japan has chosen as a "friendship ambassador" to promote tourism, especially from the Hong Kong and China markets.

"Welcome to Japan," said Yoshiaki Hompo, head of the Japan Tourism Agency.

"There are no more worries about swine flu. Please enjoy your travels in Japan."

Japan expected 65 individual tourist arrivals from China on Wednesday, flying in on JAL, All Nippon Airways and Air China to several airports throughout the country, the tourist agency said.

"The Chinese market has great potential for tourism, especially for wealthy people to come here and boost consumption," said Hompo.

"Japan and China have had a complex history, but the exchanges of people could enhance mutual understanding," he added. "I want them to enjoy shopping and walking around freely in Japan."

Fan Chengyan, a 51-year-old businesswoman who arrived with her four children, said she would spend five days travelling around Japan.

"If I had time, I would like to see Kyoto, Mount Fuji and many areas of Tokyo. I heard Japan is a very environmentally friendly country. So I want to experience that," she said.

Under the new visa rules for China, applicants for individual tourist visas need "good references in terms of occupation, financial resources and other factors," the government has said.

The annual number of Chinese arrivals in Japan -- including both business visitors and tourists -- reached one million last year and is projected to hit 1.25 million in 2010.


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## Imperfect Ending (Apr 7, 2003)

^^ Ew.. I wouldn't even go to a country that would treat me as a cattle 

What an insult


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*A challenge of biblical proportions for Disney*
6 November 2009
SCMP

Can Pirates of the Caribbean compete with the parting of the Red Sea in the mainland's theme park popularity stakes?

Hong Kong businessman Leung Moon-lam and a group of fellow Christians are planning to build a 4.5 billion yuan (HK$5.1 billion) Bible and Chinese culture theme park on a 2.3 square kilometre site in Tieling, Liaoning province.

With the world focused on the construction of a Disney theme park in Shanghai, Leung and his fellow Harmony World developers say Mickey Mouse does not have to be the only choice for mainlanders.

While young visitors to Disney will have to be satisfied with Space Mountain and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Harmony World will have Noah's Ark, David fighting Goliath and Moses parting the Red Sea.

Harmony World will be the first project of its kind in the world, according to Yan Fook Church senior pastor Patrick So Wing-chi, who came up with the idea with Leung.

There are some biblical theme parks such as The Holy Land Experience in the US, but So said there was nothing combining Christianity with Chinese culture.

Sun Hung Kai Properties opened a Noah's Ark attraction in Ma Wan Park in May and So said the Hong Kong developer had shared its experiences and was happy to provide support.

So said the project had received the central government's blessing.

"We are not going to hard-sell our religion," he said. "In a way, Chinese culture and the Bible share a similar value - harmony.

"We want to build a localised theme park, not an imported one ... [we hope] people do not just set their eyes on Mickey Mouse."

Leung said a major feature of the proposed theme park would be a "cultural zone" presenting Bible stories and introducing Western culture to mainlanders. The Tieling city government invited Leung to invest in the city in 2007. He said the theme park would also explore the parallel development of Chinese culture.

Harmony World will enter a tough market, with an estimated 70 per cent of the mainland's 2,500 theme parks in the red. Several have shut their doors in recent years, meaning Harmony World may have to rely on divine help to survive.

Despite the challenges, Leung is upbeat. He said Bible stories, including Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, the division of Israel into Judah and Israel and the story of Noah's Ark, would be told using modern techniques.

"For example, visitors can speak to the animals, fight with a giant Goliath and see how Moses parts the Red Sea," he said.

Other entertainment will include Water World, an amusement park and a theatre. It will also include a chapel for wedding ceremonies, a hotel and shopping facilities.

A letter of intent was signed with the city government last year and construction work is expected to begin in the second quarter of next year. The 1.8 billion yuan first phase - which will feature Noah Ark's and the rainbow covenant - should be completed in 2011.

"If we can raise 900 million yuan, and can arrange a loan of 900 million yuan, that will be enough," So said. They would welcome donations, sponsorship, loans and direct investment. He did not say how much the theme park had raised so far.

Canadian-based theme-park designer Forrec, which designed Canada's Wonderland in Toronto and Universal Studios Florida, will design Harmony World, and final plans will be ready by the end of this month.

As part of the project, So said they would raise a fund to support poor, disabled and blind people, as well as many victims from last year's Sichuan earthquake.

He said a new light railway connecting Shenyang with Tieling was being built.

"That will speed visitors from Shenyang to the park entrance in only 20 minutes," So said.


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## Ribarca (Jan 28, 2005)

With Shanghai building a proper Disney Hong Kong's Disney park looks doomed as well for that reason. So much tax money wasted!


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Is a small start for Disney just a big ploy? 
Magic Kingdom's final size still not known*
25 November 2009
South China Morning Post

How big Shanghai Disneyland will ultimately become remains a pressing question, after Beijing announced that only 116 hectares had been reserved for the city's long-coveted theme park.

The announcement raised eyebrows, as the space represents only a quarter of the 4 sq km, or 400 hectares, reported when Shanghai unveiled its plan for the mega project three weeks ago.

So officially, Shanghai Disneyland will be smaller than its Hong Kong rival, which covers 126 hectares. But as time goes by, Shanghai could become the biggest.

Two Shanghai government officials with the knowledge of the matter said that the statement by the National Development and Reform Commission referred only to the first phase of construction, and that there would be future expansion.

Admitting that details of the project had yet to be finalised, one Pudong district government official said that the Shanghai park would definitely outgrow its Hong Kong counterpart.

It may boil down to tactics that the mainland is adopting to nurture the growth of its own Magic Kingdom.

First, the central government and Shanghai municipality have yet to allay concerns of a bitter rivalry between Shanghai and Hong Kong as they up the ante to vie for tourists.

It is a middle road that Shanghai appears to be taking, to steady Hong Kong nerves and demonstrate effusive goodwill after Li Bincheng, a division director of the city's tourism administration, made upbeat remarks in August that the densely populated China market could sustain even three Disney theme parks.

It is believed that Shanghai's park, set to open in 2014, will eventually cover 10 sq km, after second- and third-phase expansions.

A Shanghai-based political analyst, who asked not to be identified, said: "It's another game of politics. Beijing definitely has its reasons to understate the size of the first phase."

Second, Beijing has to play down fears of an invasion of Western culture, after a group of scholars and government officials lodged complaints that the landing of Mickey Mouse would give full play to the United States' entertainment industry in China, denting the growth of homegrown companies and eroding the country's cultural heritage.

Analysts said the mainland was taking a go-slow approach to build Shanghai Disneyland, as it considered the potential damage to the domestic entertainment sector.

It was reported that the Ministry of Culture objected to the building of the park last year when the central government reviewed Shanghai's proposal for the multibillion-yuan project.

Third, Shanghai has stepped up efforts to cool the red-hot property market amid frenzied land and home purchases, as the news of the park heightened people's expectations of soaring property prices.

On November 4, when Shanghai officially announced its plan to build a Disney theme park, a parcel of land three kilometres from the Disney site was sold at 14,024 yuan (HK$15,935) per square metre in an auction, nearly quadruple what land authorities had targeted.

A wild price gain for Disneyland-related stocks has also panicked officials, with the Shanghai government and the China Securities Regulatory Commission fearing a boom-to-bust cycle when profit-taking sets in.

The Jielong Industry Group, which owns a parcel of land near the Disney site, now trades at more than 500 times its earnings for last year. The average price-to-earnings multiple among Shanghai-listed firms stood at 28 yesterday.

And the Shanghai government could go it alone by expanding the construction site without Beijing's approval.

An economist close to the city government said: "It wouldn't be a surprise if Shanghai took a bold step to unilaterally expand the size of the park, since there remain policy loopholes for the city to take advantage of.

"The city government would say the expanded space is for the related projects such as hotels and commercial buildings."


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*MORE CHINESE PEOPLE PACKING AS TRAVEL BUG BITES*

BEIJING, Oct 1 Asia Pulse - The Chinese tourism market was in full stride with the advent of National Day Golden Week as increasing numbers of people are packing for domestic and international trips.

A China Tourism Academy report published earlier this month predicted that the country would receive 210 million travelers during the Golden Week holiday.

Flight tickets to Shanghai were hard to come by due to the popularity of the World Expo, according to a survey by Ctrip.com, a major Chinese online booking website. The survey also found that hotel prices had soared. For example, hotels in Hangzhou, 176 kilometers from Shanghai, surged 10 to 40 per cent since the middle of September. Other tourist cities such as Chengdu, Changsha and Wuhan, also saw an increase in hotel prices.

More than 30,000 Chinese mainland tourists are expected to travel to Taiwan from Sept 29 to Oct 8, more than double last year's figure, according to Taiwan's Travel Agent Association on Thursday.

About 12,000 mainland tourists traveled to Taiwan during the National Day holiday last year, with an estimated spending power of about NT$760 million (US$24.32 million), figures from the local tourism bureau showed.

In July 2008, Taiwan allowed mainland tourists to visit the island on package tours for stays of up to 15 days. A total of 600,000 mainlanders visited Taiwan last year, and this year's figure is expected to hit 1.5 million.

Also, more people are setting their sights on international travel.

According to Wang Yali of the marketing department at China Travel Service (CTS) head office, these packages were in high demand.

"Traveling abroad is so hot this year that even travel agencies had trouble buying tickets from airline companies, especially those popular lines going to Europe, the United States, Africa and Australia," Wang said.

"All the tour packages between September and November had been snapped up by the end of August," she added.

Overseas tours also sold well at China Youth Travel Service (CYTS), another popular travel agency.

According to Song Xiaohong from the marketing department of CYTS, the company's tour group will take some 3,600 tourists outside China between Oct 1 and 7.

"We announced the Golden Week travel lines in late August, and all were sold out in early September," Song said.

The Golden Week, which refers to the holiday periods of the Spring Festival and National Day, is longer than usual this year because it starts only six days after the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holidays.

"I changed my work shifts and stitched all the holidays together, a total of 10 days. It is a chance to visit places farther away," said Shang Tongtong, a 24 year-old Beijing resident.

The number of people who said they were considering traveling outside China increased 28.93 per cent over the same period in 2009, and the number of tourist routes to Japan, the US and Singapore surged 20 to 30 per cent on a travel website named 51766, according to a report in the Workers' Daily.

"I cannot believe that so many people are going abroad. When I went to the Chongwen exit-entry administration in Beijing in early September, I spent more than three hours waiting in line to get my passport," said Liu Mengmeng, 29, who will travel to the Republic of Korea on Oct 10.

In 2009, China had 42.21 million people traveling abroad. This represented a 5.2 per cent increase from 2008 , according to statistics released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Golden week: record number of Chinese travellers planning domestic trips tempted by cheap airline fares, overseas curbs *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
Sep 20, 2020

China’s domestic air traffic volume is expected to reach a record high during the upcoming “golden week” holiday, as lower ticket prices and curbs on international travel because of the coronavirus pandemic spur travel-hungry mainlanders to seek out local tourist destinations.

The total number of domestic flight trips made between October 1 and 8 will reach more than 15 million, a 10 per cent increase from last year, according to data from online travel booking website Qunar, noting the added volume of mainlanders who would have travelled overseas has boosted demand.

But average airfares based on pre-bookings for the same period declined 10 per cent compared with a year ago to 895.55 yuan (US$132), the lowest in five years, said Qunar, owned by China’s largest online travel booking firm Ctrip.

More : Upcoming golden week is going to be the busiest ever for Chinese airlines


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China sees record railway trips amid post-COVID holiday travel rush * 

BEIJING, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's railways saw 15.09 million passenger trips on Thursday, a record high for the period since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, due to the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which runs from Oct. 1 to 8.

According to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., Thursday has been the busiest single day since the beginning of this year, beating its own expectation of 13 million trips. A total of 11.4 million trips are expected to be made on Friday.

The railway operator said that 834 additional trains have been put into operation to handle the spike in trips involving tourism and family visits.

The total number of railway passenger trips during the holiday is expected to be around 108 million.

Source : China sees record railway trips amid post-COVID holiday travel rush - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* City's tourist attractions prove popular over holiday *
Shanghai Daily _Excerpt_
Oct 3, 2020

More than 150 tourist attractions in Shanghai recorded 1.17 million visits on Saturday, the third day of the eight-day Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday, 82 percent of last year's figure.

The Bund had 210,100, down 44.7 percent from the same day last year, while the Yuyuan Garden scenic area and Lujiazui welcomed 48,700 and 223,600, up 0.05 percent and 0.91 percent, according to the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism.

The Shanghai International Resort received 85,000 visits, growing 11.5 percent, and scenic areas on Chongming Island had 78,000 in total, surging 99.6 percent.

More : City's tourist attractions prove popular over holiday


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China sees 425 mln domestic tourist visits in first half of national holiday *
_Excerpt_ 

BEIJING, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- China saw 425 million domestic tourist visits in the first four days of an eight-day national holiday, with a total tourism revenue of 312 billion yuan (about 45.8 billion U.S. dollars), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Sunday.

China celebrates its National Day on Oct. 1, and the week-long holiday this year has been extended to Oct. 8 as it overlapped with the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is the first national holiday since the country resumed trans-provincial group tours in July.

Across China, more than 1,000 tourist attractions are offering free or discounted tickets during the holiday. China's tourism sector is seeing a strong rebound, buoyed by preferential tourism policies and with COVID-19 effectively under control.

More : China sees 425 mln domestic tourist visits in first half of national holiday - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Half a Billion Travelers Show China’s Economy Moving Past Covid*
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Oct 6, 2020

Hotel prices shot up, ride-hailing apps crashed, tickets to the Great Wall sold out: after more than nine long, housebound months, almost half a billion Chinese people are taking a vacation.

With the Covid-19 pandemic largely under control in China, the Golden Week holiday is putting on display the country’s confidence in its economic rebound and its public health measures. Through the first four days of the week-long holiday that started Oct. 1, some 425 million people traveled domestically, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, nearly 80% of last year’s throngs.

The surge of activity stands in stark contrast to the rest of the world -- the global tourism industry is expected to lose at least $1.2 trillion in 2020 -- and underscores the relative strength of China’s economic recovery. As of September, the OECD forecast a 1.8% expansion this year, putting China alone among the Group of 20 on pace to expand.

More : Half a Billion Travelers Show China’s Economy Moving Past Covid


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Can China's Golden Week boost Asia's economies? *
BBC _Excerpt_
Oct 6, 2020

The annual Golden Week holiday is dubbed "the world's largest human migration" as it usually sees millions of Chinese tourists travelling internationally.

China accounts for almost one-fifth of the world's international tourism according the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.

But this year, the pandemic has made international travel nearly impossible. So they're travelling locally instead.

As a result, domestic tourism during this national holiday season is expected to recover to near pre-pandemic levels, helped by pent-up demand and cheap airfares.

China's tourism ministry said around 425m people travelled within the country during the first four days of holiday alone.

And ticket sales from China's biggest online travel portal Trip.com show local tourism recovering to around 80% compared to last year.

More : Can China's Golden Week still shine brightly?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China to see surge in return trips as holiday draws to close *
_Excerpt_

BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's transport operators will see a surge in return trips on Thursday as an eight-day national holiday draws to a close.

On Thursday, 13 million train trips are expected, and 1,234 additional trains have been put into operation to handle the spike in trips involving tourism and family visits, according to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

China's daily train trips had exceeded 10 million for eight consecutive days by Wednesday, the railway operator said.

In a bid to cope with the surging passenger flow, airliners used widebody aircraft for over 30 popular routes connecting Xi'an and Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou.

The country's transport sector maintained stable and orderly operation during the extended holiday, the Ministry of Transport said Thursday.

More : China to see surge in return trips as holiday draws to close - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China tourism rebounds over Golden Week but still below last year *
_Excerpt_

SHANGHAI/BEIJING, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Domestic tourism in China saw a robust rebound over the just-ended Golden Week holiday, encouraged by the country's success in stamping out the novel coronavirus, although levels were still well short of last year.

Tourism sites were visited by 637 million domestic tourists over the eight-day National Day holiday that started Oct. 1, 79% of last year's total, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism said in a statement on Thursday.

Domestic tourism revenues stood at 466.56 billion yuan ($68.7 billion), it added, down from nearly 650 billion yuan a year earlier.

That, however, marked an improvement from China's last long holiday period over May 1-5 for Labour Day, when 115 million domestic tourists travelled and tourism revenues were only 47.56 billion yuan.

Since then, COVID-19 cases have ebbed, with no new community transmissions in mainland China since early August.

More : China tourism rebounds over Golden Week but still below last year


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Domestic travel during Golden Week holiday spurs economy *
_Excerpt_

BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Golden populus euphratica forest, red gritstone landforms, the thrill of horse-riding....Yang Zeliang and his friends savored them all during the eight-day Golden Week holiday.

Yang, 28, a medical representative from southwest China's Chengdu, visited northwest Gansu Province.

"I did not expect that there would be so many people," Yang said.

With COVID-19 prevention measures in place, Chinese people enjoyed the National Day holiday that began on Oct. 1. The traditional week-long holiday coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, stretching to eight days.

China's remote northwestern region has gained traction as a travel destination during the holiday. Gansu recorded around 15.95 million tourist visits from Oct. 1 to 8, generating total tourism revenue of 9.26 billion yuan (1.38 billion U.S. dollars), data from the local culture and tourism department showed.

Tourist attractions across China received a total of 637 million visits during the holiday. The figure is equal to 79 percent of visits during the holiday last year, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. 

More : China Focus: Domestic travel during Golden Week holiday spurs economy - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Restrictions on tourism maintained*
China Daily _Excerpt_
Oct 22, 2020

The Chinese mainland is maintaining the suspension of outbound group tours and inbound tourism due to the high risk of a resurgence of coronavirus infections this winter.

A notice issued by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Wednesday said the government will tighten control and prevention measures against COVID-19 cases, which may rebound in colder weather.

It said operators of travel agencies must normalize control and prevention measures, and they cannot offer services to nonresident foreigners. Outbound group tours are also forbidden.

More : Restrictions on tourism maintained


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Group tours favorites following pandemic *
Shanghai Daily _Excerpt_
Nov 26, 2020

Early birds are already preparing next year's travel plans following the announcement of China's public holiday calendar.

The holiday dates have sparked a boom in domestic tourism bookings, travel operators said on Thursday.

Bookings for private group tours during the Lunar New Year holiday soared 160 percent from Wednesday night compared with a normal day, said Shanghai-based online travel operator Trip.com.

Private tour groups are gaining in popularity with Chinese tourists after the COVID-19 pandemic as they feature limited numbers of tourists, usually family members or friends.

The Spring Festival holiday will be between February 11 and 17.

Most of those booking private group tours for the break are families with children or senior members, said Trip.com.

Searches for independent tourist itineraries related to the three-day New Year's Day holiday from January 1 to 3 soared 120 percent compared with a normal day, the travel operator said.

Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Chengdu have the largest number of holiday tour bookers.

More : Group tours favorites following pandemic


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Integrating cultural and tourism development *
China Daily _Excerpt_
Nov 30, 2020

During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, China is expected to maintain a healthy economic growth rate and become a high-income country with its per capita gross national income crossing US$12,600, which will usher in another period of high growth for the domestic as well as outbound tourism sectors.

With the continuous improvement in China's ecological environment, optimization of its high-speed rail and civil aviation networks, and 5G and other high-tech infrastructure sectors, as well as upgrading of tourism services, many new types of tourism will emerge, attracting more international tourists and boosting the growth of the inbound tourism sector.

According to the proposals for formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 released after the conclusion of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee last month, the country should promote the integrated development of the cultural and tourism industries, develop a number of world-class tourist attractions and resorts with rich cultural connotations, and build tourism and leisure cities and urban zones with distinctive cultural traits.

But how can China achieve these goals?

That a giant sculpture of Guangong, a hero during the Three Kingdoms (220-280) period, recently installed in Jingzhou, Hubei province, has to be relocated to another spot should be a lesson for local decision-makers on how these goals cannot and should not be achieved.

The basic goals of tourism development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period are the tourism industry's upgrading, meeting people's practical needs to lead a better life, including enjoying high-quality tourism services, and making China more attractive to international tourists. Given the new market demands and development trends, China's tourism industry needs, among other things, to improve the environment, upgrade tourism services, devise innovate tourism formats, and ensure tourists enjoy the different experiences.

More : Integrating cultural and tourism development


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*China rolls out plan of promoting "Internet plus tourism" *
_Excerpt_

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities on Monday issued a guideline on facilitating "Internet plus tourism," showing the way for tourist destinations to become intelligent.

The guideline, jointly released by 10 government departments including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the National Development and Reform Commission, noted that by 2025, tourist attractions rated 4A or above are to be upgraded and become more intelligent in providing services.

The guideline calls on tourist attractions and resorts to expand 5G network coverage and speed up the application of unmanned, non-contact facilities.

More : China rolls out plan of promoting "Internet plus tourism" - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China's COVID-free 'Hawaii' chases local tourist dollar with a vengeance *
_Excerpt_
Dec 7, 2020

SANYA, China (Reuters) - Millions of domestic tourists are descending on China’s southernmost island province of Hainan, presenting a surreal contrast with grim hospital scenes, shuttered restaurants and stifling home quarantine elsewhere in a virus-ravaged world.

Known at home as the “Hawaii of China”, the island, about the size of Taiwan, has been free of coronavirus for six months, drawing eager shoppers to duty-free malls, couples seeking a sub-tropical backdrop for wedding pictures, and surfers just looking to “breathe freely”.

October arrivals of 9.6 million, according to official data, exceeded the year-earlier figure, before the pandemic struck, by 3.1%, although foreign visitors slumped 87%. That was a far cry from February, when arrivals had dropped almost 90%.

The rapid surge in tourism shows China’s consumer sector may be throwing off its virus-induced slumber as the closure of many international borders pushes travellers to destinations such as Hainan, traditionally costlier than most of Southeast Asia.

Tourism spending has got a leg up since a new duty-free spending cap of 100,000 yuan ($15,186) for travellers took effect in July, up from 30,000 yuan earlier.

More : China's COVID-free 'Hawaii' chases local tourist dollar with a vengeance


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Across China: Rural tourism thrives on waterscape of Three Gorges *
_Excerpt_ 

CHONGQING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- At the first light of day, Feng Tianqiong gets up to clean her farmyard. She runs an agritainment business and prepares local specialty "Chaihuo chicken," or roast chicken cooked on firewood.

The 60-year-old farmer welcomes her first guests at 10 a.m., and one hour later, visitors pack out her farmyard seating area in the Three Gorges Reservoir region along the Yangtze River, driving from nearby cities for leisure travel during weekends or holidays.

"In the peak season of March and April, I can earn up to 30,000 yuan (about 4,600 U.S. dollars) a month," Feng said.

Living in the Dazhou Township in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, she previously managed to eke out a living by farming. In March 2019, Feng opened her agritainment business after the local government built a landmark riverside Ten-mile Corridor and several tourist attractions. These had gone viral on social media and become hotspots for photo-shoots with their picturesque river views.

Last year alone, over 200,000 tourists flocked to Feng's town, spawning the emergence of 30 agritainment businesses and three bed and breakfasts (B&B) in villages.

More : Across China: Rural tourism thrives on waterscape of Three Gorges - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Wuhan attempts to woo back travelers as pandemic fears ease *
CNN _Excerpt_
Dec 4, 2020

Wuhan, the Chinese city most closely associated with the outbreak of Covid-19, has launched a new promotional video as part of attempts to attract travelers to experience its beauty.

The video's title translates to "Let's Meet in Wuhan." Posted on the Wuhan Culture and Tourism Bureau's social media site, it highlights the best of the city, from its surreal floating forest in the Zhangdu Lake Wetland to the lit-up historical Yellow Crane Tower, along with Wuhan locals eating noodles.

It was originally posted on Visit Wuhan's Weibo platform in Chinese on November 13 then later shared on Facebook in English with a similar message.

More : Wuhan attempts to woo back travelers as pandemic fears ease


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Tourism restrictions tightened for holidays *
China Daily _Excerpt_
Dec 30, 2020

China's cultural and tourism administration authorities will impose stricter measures on attendance at attractions and performance sites to prevent a rebound of the novel coronavirus during the New Year's and Spring Festival holidays.

With sporadic cases reported in recent weeks, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will continue to suspend travel agencies' services for group trips leaving or coming into the Chinese mainland over the holidays, the ministry's senior officials said at a news conference on Monday.

Tourism attractions and indoor entertainment venues including theaters, cybercafes and cinemas are allowed to admit visitors at no more than 75 percent of their maximum capacity over the holidays.

The ministry also encouraged visitors to make reservations in advance whenever possible in order to better control population flows over the holidays.

"COVID-19 is spreading fast at foreign destinations, while domestic sites face challenges handling sporadic cases. So we recommend that travelers reduce unnecessary trips," Hou Zhengang, inspector of the ministry's market management department, said at the news conference.

More : Tourism restrictions tightened for holidays


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Fearing COVID-19, Chinese tourists opt for new year close to home *
_Excerpt_
Dec 30, 2020

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese tourists, millions of whom have shunned overseas travel because of the global pandemic, are limiting their journeys further to nearby cities and avoiding leaving their provinces.

Recent cases of the novel coronavirus in Beijing and northern China have rekindled public concern, already shaken by calls to avoid non-essential travel during the festive season between Jan. 1 and the start of Lunar New Year in mid-February.

Millions of domestic tourists travel in the week before and after Jan. 1 in a typical year.

Hotel bookings for the three-day New Year weekend had reached 1.8 times of bookings a year earlier as of Dec. 24, but many people were not travelling far, even though plane tickets were nearly 20% cheaper on average, Beijing-based online travel platform Qunar.com said.

“The trend is taking a train to visit cities within the reach of one hour,” the company said.

More : Fearing COVID-19, Chinese tourists opt for new year close to home


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* NE China province to double ski resorts by 2025 *
_Excerpt_ 

CHANGCHUN, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Northeast China's Jilin Province plans to double the number of its ski resorts to 100 by 2025, according to a recently-released local government plan for ski resort construction.

Jilin, with rich ice and snow resources, has become one of the most popular skiing destinations due to the rising skiing boom in the country in recent years.

The province will develop the ice and snow industry in the next five years, seeking to build a world-class destination for skiing sports and tourism, an international ice and snow industry cooperation and exchange center and a national ice and snow talent training base. It currently has 46 ski resorts.

The province plans to have 60 ski resorts by 2022 and 100 by 2025, including 30 for competitive skiing and 70 for mass skiing.

As the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics approaches, the general public will continue to unleash their enthusiasm for ice and snow sports.

More : NE China province to double ski resorts by 2025 - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Added value of China's tourism, related industries nears 4.5 trln yuan *
_Excerpt_ 

BEIJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- The added value of tourism and related industries in China amounted to roughly 4.5 trillion yuan (about 690 billion U.S. dollars) in 2019, official data shows.

The volume accounted for 4.56 percent of the country's GDP in 2019, up 0.05 percentage points from a year earlier, according to calculations from the National Bureau of Statistics.

Specifically, 31.3 percent of the total added value of tourism and related industries came from shopping, the largest contributor, while the added value of traveling came in at 1.21 trillion yuan in 2019, accounting for 26.8 percent of the total.

More : Added value of China's tourism, related industries nears 4.5 trln yuan - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Trip.com says it’s ‘more confident than ever’ in China’s long-term travel recovery *
CNBC _Excerpt_ 
Jan 14, 2021

Online travel agency Trip.com is “more confident than ever” that China’s domestic tourism will recover in the long run, chief executive Jane Sun said on Thursday.

That’s despite fresh lockdowns in the country as new coronavirus cases emerge.

“In the long run, we are very optimistic about the recovery,” Sun told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.” Trip.com is one of China’s largest online travel sites.

She said China saw “very strong recovery” during the country’s last holiday season in October and that it’s taking steps to administer vaccines in high risk areas.

Communities are also more experienced in identifying and isolating cases in order to control the virus, she said.

More : Trip.com says it's 'more confident than ever' in China's long-term travel recovery


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Across China: Half water half fire: a volcano city's green journey * 
_Excerpt_

KUNMING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Home to 99 active and extinct volcanoes, a city sitting at the China-Myanmar border is a hotbed of biodiversity.

Tengchong, in southwest China's Yunnan Province, boasts an evergreen landscape, panoramic ranges, marshy flats, and above all, volcanoes. Its environment is known by locals as being "half water half fire."

The liquid rock spewed by the volcanoes across the area laid the foundations for the soil that nurtures great natural abundance. So far, the city has recorded more than 2,500 types of higher plants and over 560 vertebrates.

Zhang Xingguo, a 43-year-old farmer from Shuanghai Village, is now leading a team of boatmen offering tourist sightseeing services in Tengchong Beihai Wetland.

The provincial government approved the designation of the wetland as a nature reserve in 2005, spanning a total area of 1,629 hectares.

In 2010, Tengchong completed the conversion of paddy fields and fish ponds around the reserve into wetlands, covering nearly 200 hectares, along with other projects including dam construction, greening and disaster control. Around 120 hectares of vegetation was restored, thus speeding up the recovery of local biodiversity.

The ameliorated ecology presents tranquil vistas that attract numerous tourists, and villagers nearby have also enjoyed the benefits of tourism.

"More than 140 residents from our village are now working in the reserve," said Zhang. "Some are guides to introduce the wetland to tourists, and some work in the wetland protection patrol."

More : Across China: Half water half fire: a volcano city's green journey - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China's Hainan to build int'l tourism consumption center in 5 years * 
_Excerpt_ 

HAIKOU, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- South China's Hainan Province plans to build itself into an international tourism consumption center in the next five years.

According to the government work report delivered Sunday at the annual session of the provincial people's congress, the added value of tourism will account for 12 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) of Hainan in the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

Hainan will open 160 new domestic and international air routes bringing the total to 646 within five years, increasing the number of accessible cities to 200 and the passenger throughput to 60 million.

More : China's Hainan to build int'l tourism consumption center in 5 years - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China urges less travel during upcoming holiday * 
_Excerpt_

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- China has rolled out a series of guidelines to ensure the well-being of people who had been asked to avoid traveling during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday.

All residents in areas at high risk of COVID-19 shall stay at their current residing localities to prevent spreading the epidemic, said a recent circular released by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council.

Travel from medium-risk areas will need permission from the local epidemic prevention and control authorities. Those living in low-risk areas shall be advised to avoid traveling unless necessary, the circular said. 

More : China urges less travel during upcoming holiday - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Xixi, China's first national wetland park * 
_Excerpt_

HANGZHOU, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) --Xixi National Wetland Park, located on the outskirts of Hangzhou, is the first national wetland park in China.

With a total area of 11.5 square kilometers, it has helped to restore the local ecology.

During an inspection tour in Zhejiang Province, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the park and stressed the importance of protecting wetland ecology and the aquatic environment.

Xixi Wetland was once under threat from overdevelopment in early 2000.

In 2003, with the advocacy and support of Xi Jinping, then secretary of the Zhejiang provincial committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the protection project of Xixi Wetland was launched.

In 2004, staff of the former State Forestry Administration came to Xixi Wetland and proposed to establish a wetland park here.

More : Xixi, China's first national wetland park | Stories shared by Xi Jinping - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Rich Shoppers Stuck in China Fuel an Unlikely Boom in Duty Free * 
Bloomberg _Excerpt_
Feb 4, 2021

Bargain-hunting travelers have long fattened the profits of duty-free shops, but Covid-19 travel restrictions have hammered those perfume-suffused emporiums. Except in one place: China’s Hainan Island, where even domestic visitors can shop duty free. Last year the government eased restrictions on such purchases as more Chinese tourists unable to journey abroad flocked to the island, providing a lifeline for the global industry. Duty-free sales in China “have been extremely solid in the last 12 months,” says Jean-Marc Pontroué, chief executive officer of high-end watchmaker Panerai, which is adding two duty-free locations on Hainan this year. “We remain optimistic, because the Chinese can hardly get out of China.”

China is now extending parts of that Hainan policy to the mainland, with duty-free shops in central Shanghai, Beijing, and about a dozen other cities. Those operations look pretty much like other upscale retail outlets—pricey skin creams, displays of hand-made wristwatches, sumptuous leather handbags—except that shoppers who can prove they’ve been overseas in recent months don’t have to pay levies as high as 30%.

The goal is to get wealthy Chinese to shift some spending back to China rather than on trips abroad, and it’s working. China’s share of the global luxury market—the goods typically sold at duty free—almost doubled last year to 20%, according to consultants Bain & Co. “Even when international travel reopens, there will be an alternative for mainlanders,” says Bruno Lannes, a Bain senior partner in Shanghai.

More : Bloomberg - Are you a robot?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China's Hainan posts surging duty-free sales in January * 
_Excerpt_ 

HAIKOU, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Duty-free sales in China's island province of Hainan reached 3.78 billion yuan (about 585.5 million U.S. dollars) in January, an increase of 143.6 percent year on year, Haikou Customs said.

Hainan's offshore duty-free shops received some 509,000 customers and sold 5.11 million products during the period, up 29 percent and 146.6 percent year on year, respectively.

Hainan vows to build itself into an international tourism consumption center and has increased annual tax-free shopping quota per person from 30,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan from July 1, 2020. The categories of duty-free goods have also been expanded from 38 to 45, with electronic products such as mobile phones and laptops added to the duty-free list.

More : China's Hainan posts surging duty-free sales in January - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China's restaurants, hotels eye gloomy Lunar New Year as virus worries re-ignite*
Feb 9, 2021
_Excerpt_ 

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s hotels and restaurants are bracing for a lacklustre Lunar New Year holiday, as travel curbs and government advice to stay home and avoid big gatherings look set to deal a blow to domestic tourism this year.

The week-long holiday that begins on Friday traditionally kicks off one of China’s biggest spending sprees, surpassing 1 trillion yuan ($155 billion) in 2019, before the coronavirus disruptions, government figures show.

“Our business is barely half of what we usually see before the Lunar New Year,” said Lin Haiping, founder of Baheli, a beef hotpot chain with more than 100 outlets in 16 cities.

“We are in a dilemma as we don’t want to have too many customers,” he added, citing the advice against large gatherings as a reason for avoiding promotional offers to drum up business.

“I’m afraid of having too many people under the current policies.”

More : China's restaurants, hotels eye gloomy Lunar New Year as virus worries re-ignite


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*China New Year travel slumps amid coronavirus curbs *
_Excerpt_ 
Feb 12, 2021

BEIJING (Reuters) - The number of people who travelled in China ahead of Lunar New Year plummeted from two years ago as coronavirus restrictions curbed the world’s largest annual domestic migration.

The seven-day celebration, which kicked off on Thursday, is China’s most important national holiday and is usually marked by big family reunions. Millions of workers traditionally travel - sometimes thousands of kilometres from Beijing and other major cities - to their hometowns in remote regions.

Data from the Ministry of Transportation, Chinese internet giant Baidu Inc and travel analytics firm ForwardKeys showed a sharp drop in the percentage of the country’s 1.45 billion population who travelled this year.

With some 48 million more people expected to stay put in 36 major cities this year compared to years past, according to the commerce ministry, utility companies and movie theatres are preparing for heightened demand.

Ministry of Transportation data showed a 70% drop in the number of passenger trips across the country in the two weeks leading up to Lunar New Year, compared with the same period two years ago. 

More : China New Year travel slumps amid coronavirus curbs


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Sales in Hainan duty-free shops hit more than $231 million during Spring Festival holidays *
Global Times _Excerpt_ 
Feb 18, 2021

The week-long Spring Festival holidays have triggered another shopping spree for the duty-free shops, as latest data from Hainan island, the "Hawaii" of southern China revealed the island's windfall profits over the past week. 

According to the Hainan commerce department, from February 11 to 17, the 7-day sales of outbound duty-free shops in Hainan exceeded 1.5 billion yuan ($231 million). Sales exceeded 280 million yuan on February 14.

The data followed the previous month's expanding performance as Hainan has reaffirmed as the leading duty-free region in China, with the total sales of duty-free shops in the province's in January coming in at 4.05 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 168 percent. 

Data from travel platform qunar.com on Thursday showed that the hotels with stars have the highest booking in China, with the average price of 1,501 yuan, and information provider VariFlight said Sanya Phoenix International Airport has an average 157 daily inbound flights during the week-long holidays.

More : Sales in Hainan duty-free shops hit more than $231 million during Spring Festival holidays - Global Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China to see increased domestic tourism in 2021: report *
_Excerpt_ 

SHANGHAI, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 4.1 billion domestic tourist trips will be made in China in 2021, up 42 percent from 2020, according to a report released by the China Tourism Academy on Monday.

China will gain 3.3 trillion yuan (about 511 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue from domestic tourism in 2021, an increase of 48 percent year on year, read the report.

Amid the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, China saw approximately 2.88 billion domestic tourist trips in 2020, a 52.1 percent year-on-year slump, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

More : China to see increased domestic tourism in 2021: report - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China's coldest village sees tourism warm up amid forest protection efforts * 
_Excerpt_ 
Feb 28, 2021

China's Lengji Village, meaning the coldest village in Chinese, has become a thriving tourist destination, attracting numerous visitors to enjoy breathtaking winter scenery.

The village is also known as "the Cold Pole Village" because it is located in Genhe, a city known as the country's "Pole of Cold" in the northernmost tip of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. 

Tourists have flocked to experience rural life in Lengji Village where temperatures often drop below negative 30 degrees Celsius. They also have the opportunity to observe local villagers working in the frigid winter to protect the natural environment.

To protect the snow-covered forests, villagers work a variety of jobs at a local forest farm under environmental conservation projects. Among them is forest ranger for Jinlin Forest Farm at the Daxing'anling Forestry Administration Cheng Shanzhong, who patrols 100-hectares of forest area, a 40-minute drive away from the village.

More : China's coldest village sees tourism warm up amid forest protection efforts


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China’s Hainan is benefiting from a domestic tourism boom, but will its moment in the sun last?* 
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 
Mar 3, 2021

China has long had high hopes for international tourism in Hainan. In 2009, plans to transform the tropical island province into a desirable overseas destination by 2020 were announced. “But 2020 has arrived and failure to fulfil the island’s potential has not been for want of Beijing’s support,” reported the South China Morning Post in October.

Not that Hainan has been lacking in visitors. According to Chinese tabloid the Global Times, “More than 83 million tourists from home and abroad visited southern China’s tropical island province of Hainan in 2019, up nine per cent year on year.” Tourism revenue also increased, rising 11 per cent to 105 billion yuan (US$16.2 billion), although noticeably absent from the article was the breakdown of domestic and foreign visitors. In 2018, non-Chinese visitors to the island had accounted for just 1.2 per cent of its 76 million arrivals.

But then, of course, the pandemic hit. From midnight on March 28, 2020, China closed its borders to foreign nationals, and entry bans remain in place for all but those with residence permits.

More : Why China’s Hainan is doing fine without international tourists


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Labour Day tourism spike in China sees more people travelling than pre-pandemic levels *
Apr 15, 2021
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_ 

International travel has come to a standstill since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, but about 200 million trips are expected to be made across the mainland for the upcoming Labour Day holiday.

Trip.com, China’s biggest online service agency, predicts that the country will see a significant boost in the number of people on the road during the May 1-5 holiday, even compared to pre-pandemic years. 

Compared to 2019, when the world was unaware of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, bookings for air tickets rose by 23 per cent, hotel reservations increased by 43 per cent, tour bookings jumped by 114 per cent and car rentals saw a 126 per cent increase, according to Trip.com data.

More : China expects more travellers during Labour Day than before pandemic


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*China’s Post-Covid Travel Frenzy May Break Record This Labor Day *
Apr 28, 2021
Bloomberg _Excerpt_ 

Tickets for everything from domestic flights to theme parks are rapidly selling out in China ahead of its Labor Day holiday as the nation’s recovery gathers pace.

Bookings for seats on planes, hotel rooms and car rentals over the five-day break starting Saturday have all surged, surpassing those for the same period in 2019, according to Trip.com Group Co. People will make an estimated 200 million overall trips, a record for the national holiday, and tickets for Shanghai Disneyland have also sold out for most days.

China’s early success in tackling the pandemic has helped to underpin its economic rebound, and while the Asian nation has had the odd virus flare-up around other holidays this year, its ability to contain sporadic outbreaks has given millions of people the confidence to stick to their domestic travel plans.

More : Bloomberg - Are you a robot?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Which city rules this May Day holiday top ten? *
May 7, 2021
CGTN _Excerpt_ 

The May Day "Golden Week" holiday just ended on Wednesday, and people from all over the country have returned to their jobs. Because of the COVID-19, this holiday was the first break when many people's travel plans could finally come to fruition, and Beijing was the most sought-after destination.

Data compiled by Xinhua Finance and Trip.com, one of China's major online travel booking platforms, indicates that orders for this May Day holiday on Trip.com increased by about 270 percent year-on-year. Even compared with the same period of 2019, the growth rate was over 30 percent.

The data takes various factors into consideration such as transportation, hotels, travel agency reservations, and venue tickets. 

The top ten popular tourist cities were Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, Nanjing, Chongqing, Wuhan, and Changsha. The Summer Palace and the Great Wall in Beijing; the Fortifications of Xi'an; the Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou all made the final list of the hottest scenic spots.

It is worth mentioning that Shenzhen ranks outside the top ten this time.

More : Which city rules this May Day holiday top ten?


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Chain operations buck trend to expand *
June 19, 2021
China Daily _Excerpt_ 

While the overall hospitality industry reported marked shrinkage in 2020, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese chain hotels bucked the trend and expanded, according to a recent report.

Released by the China Hospitality Association, Beijing International Studies University School of Tourism Sciences and a Shanghai-based consultancy company, the report showed Chinese chain hotels added 166,000 guest rooms last year, enabling a 5 percentage point rise in their share of the domestic hospitality industry.

In the upmarket and midscale hotel segment, in particular, chain hotels saw a year-on-year increase of 43.01 percent and 6.28 percent in guest rooms, respectively.

The upswing in the size of the chain hotels show such a business model has a better capacity to resist risks, said Han Ming, president of the CHA.

As the prevention and control of the pandemic is successful nationwide, the hospitality industry will forge ahead with high-quality development, she added.

More : Chain operations buck trend to expand - Chinadaily.com.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*AP PHOTOS: Tourism boom pressures Tibet's historic sites*
June 21, 2021
AP _Excerpt_ 

Tourism is booming in Tibet as more Chinese travel in-country because of the coronavirus pandemic, posing risks to the region’s fragile environment and historic sites.

The number of visitors is limited to 5,000 per day at the Potala Palace, the former home of the Dalai Lamas. Balancing tourist demand with the need to minimize wear and tear on the massive hillside structure is a constant challenge, said Gonggar Tashi, the head administrator.

“The biggest challenge for us is the contradiction between the protection and usage of the cultural relics,” Tashi told journalists in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.

More : AP PHOTOS: Tourism boom pressures Tibet's historic sites


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Across China: Tea tourism revitalizes ancient villages in SW China * 
_Excerpt_

KUNMING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Standing in a snack shop located at the entrance of Anshi Village in southwest China's Yunnan Province, Wang Zhengmei, 45, fervidly greets tourists and offers them local specialties like fried potatoes and rice noodles.

Wang used to struggle for a living far away from home, but when Anshi became a favorable destination for tea lovers, she seized the business opportunity and returned home to open the snack shop last year.

Wang initially set up a shed to sell snacks, but with government support, the shop was upgraded to a firm and beautiful wooden cottage, she said.

Besides selling local snacks, Wang's shop also offers tea grown by herself. "On average, I can earn some 300 yuan (46 U.S. dollars) every day, while on weekends and holidays, my daily income can climb up to 500 to 600 yuan, as more tourists visit our village," Wang said.

Anshi Village, under the jurisdiction of Fengshan Town in Fengqing County, is known as the birthplace of Yunnan black tea or Dianhong tea, which used to be a bestselling variety in western European countries and the United States in the 1970s and 1980s.

More : Across China: Tea tourism revitalizes ancient villages in SW China - Xinhua | English.news.cn


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## DenverSkyline (Jul 13, 2021)

i missed out on a chance to go to china a few years ago. would love to now when travel is opened up.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Local ski resorts proving irresistible with tourists *
China Daily _Excerpt_
Jan 14, 2022

With the 2022 Winter Olympic Games approaching, ski resorts in Beijing, a co-host of the event, are growing in popularity among tourists.

Data from online travel platform Ctrip show that bookings of tickets to ski resorts during the three-day New Year holiday surged by 86 percent year-on-year. On average, one out of every five Ctrip users in North and Northeast China, who searched their nearby holiday destinations, opted for a ski resort.

Beijing's ski resorts, including Nanshan, Vanke Shijinglong, Jundushan, and Huaibei International, were among the favorites, according to data from various travel platforms.

More : Local ski resorts proving irresistible with tourists - Chinadaily.com.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*China's snow industry output likely to reach 1 trln yuan *
_Excerpt_ 

BEIJING, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- China's ice-snow industry output reached 600 billion yuan (about 94.2 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020 and will likely reach 1 trillion yuan in the near future, according to an industry report.

Inspired by the upcoming Winter Olympics, over 70 percent of respondents expressed a willingness to increase their consumption of ice-snow tourism, according to the report issued by the China Tourism Academy and Mafengwo, a travel service and social networking platform.

Chinese tourists made 170 million trips featuring ice and snow in 2016-2017, and the figure is expected to reach 305 million during the 2021-2022 ice-snow tourism season, said the report.

More : China's snow industry output likely to reach 1 trln yuan


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Traveling to China during Covid-19: What you need to know before you go *
_Excerpt_
Jan 17, 2022

(CNN) — If you're planning a trip to China, here's what you'll need to know and expect if you want to visit during the global coronavirus pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic started in China's Hubei province, but early and strict lockdowns means the country has got it under control. However, most visitors are not yet allowed entry.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games would be open to domestic tourists, but not international ones. The IOC also stated that only fully vaccinated athletes will be able to skip the 21-day quarantine.

The Games kick off on February 4, and the Paralympics will end on March 13. These guidelines will apply for the entire period.

More : Traveling to China during Covid-19: What you need to know before you go


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Datong host to varied sections of Great Wall *
China Daily _Excerpt_
Jan 21, 2022

Shanxi is nicknamed "the Great Wall Museum" as it is said to be home to the longest stretch of the iconic structure built throughout a 2,000-year period.

The northern Shanxi city of Datong is one of the best places in the province to see the ancient wonder featuring architectural characteristics of different periods.

The construction of the Great Wall is said to have begun in the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) and ended some 400 years ago during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Datong, standing at the border between the farming Han and the northern nomads in ancient China, is said to boast all the periodic sections of the Great Wall.

The city also features the largest density of Great Wall sections in Shanxi, as it is surrounded by the outer Great Wall in the north and the inner Great Wall in the south.

More : Datong host to varied sections of Great Wall - Chinadaily.com.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China's resort island eyes 15 pct growth for tourism revenue *
_Excerpt_ 

HAIKOU, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- South China's tropical island province of Hainan targets tourism revenue growth of 15 percent and an increase of 10 percent in tourist numbers this year, an official said Sunday during the annual session of the provincial people's congress.

Aiming to become an international tourism and consumption center, Hainan will roll out a series of policies and guidelines for tourism development such as building theme parks and promoting night economy, said Sun Ying, director of the provincial department of tourism, culture, radio, television and sports.

Sun noted that Hainan will work to foster the development of large tourism and culture projects and provide more products to tourists from home and abroad.

More : China's resort island eyes 15 pct growth for tourism revenue


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* 3.25 billion domestic tourism trips made in China in 2021, 54.0% of 2019 levels*
Global Times _Excerpt_
Jan 25, 2022

In 2021, Chinese people made 3.25 billion domestic tourism trips, an increase of 367 million or 12.8 percent from 2020, bouncing back to 54.0 percent of the pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to a sample survey.

Domestic tourism consumption totaled 2.92 trillion yuan（$461 billion）, an increase of 690 billion yuan or 31.0 percent over 2020, recovering to 51.0 percent of 2019 level.

Tourism consumption made by urban residents rose 31.6 percent to 2.36 trillion yuan while the spending by rural residents increased 28.4 percent to 550 billion yuan.

More : 3.25 billion domestic tourism trips made in China in 2021, 54.0% of 2019 levels - Global Times


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Homestays in suburbs popular for the holidays *
China Daily _Excerpt_
Jan 29, 2022

Spending Chinese New Year's Eve at homestays in the city's outskirts has been in vogue among families who prefer short-distance tours to heed the "stay put" calls from their governments during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday.

So far, cities and provinces including Beijing, Shanghai and Henan have encouraged people to think twice about traveling back to their hometowns during the seven-day break－from Jan 31 to Feb 6-to minimize the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

Zhang Xiaorong, operator of Liuzhu, a homestay located in a Liuduhe village, Beijing's Huairou district, said that the rooms, which are popular among visitors even during normal times, are being snapped up faster as the holiday approaches.

More : Homestays in suburbs popular for the holidays


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China the Great Tourist Exporter Turns Focus Inward — What It Means *
Skift _Excerpt_
Jan 27, 2022

China’s inbound and outbound travel may remain restricted, but a post-Covid isolationist approach hasn’t prevented it from planning for the future of its tourism sector as a key pillar of the Chinese economy.

By 2025, China’s domestic market — particularly rural tourism, including cultural and outdoor recreation — will have progressed and developed “vigorously.” But inbound and outbound tourism will be prioritized step by step and “under the premise that the international pandemic is effectively controlled.” 

That’s the key message from China’s five-year tourism development plan for 2021-2025, released by China’s State Council just a fortnight before the Beijing Winter Olympics kick off on February 4. 

More : China the Great Tourist Exporter Turns Focus Inward — What It Means


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Staycations soar as travelers embrace local experiences*
China Daily _Excerpt_
Feb 5, 2022

Short trips are increasingly popular because of sporadic cases of COVID-19 which prevent people from traveling afar.

Frequent traveler Qi Xiaoya has a sweet tooth and enjoys visiting dessert shops in different cities to sample delicious cakes.

When staying in a five-star hotel, she treats it as a destination, enjoying the weather and the pleasures of the foods offered by restaurants.

More : Staycations soar as travelers embrace local experiences


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Beijing to get Legoland theme park *
China Daily _Excerpt_
Feb 19, 2022

A Legoland theme park will come up in Beijing's Fangshan district as part of the Chinese national capital's plan to upgrade its suburban industrial layout.

In September 2021, Beijing became home to the Universal Beijing Resort.

The anticipated Legoland theme park figures among the nine new priority projects of culture and tourism for this year, according to a notice published on the website of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform.

More : Beijing to get Legoland theme park


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## Yellow Fever (Jan 3, 2008)

This one is almost half the size of the one under construction now in Shenzhen.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Co-host Zhangjiakou benefits from Winter Olympics legacy *
China Daily _Excerpt_
Mar 2, 2022 

Winter Olympics co-host Zhangjiakou, in Hebei province, has developed its winter sports industry rapidly as more Chinese people get involved in skiing and snowboarding.

Industry insiders believe the city will continue to benefit as the legacy of the Games boosts its winter sports economy.

A recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics found about 346 million Chinese had taken part in winter sports between 2015, when Beijing's bid to host the Games was successful, and October last year.

The opening of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou High-Speed Railway at the end of 2019 reduced travel time between the cities from about three hours to 53 minutes.

More : Co-host Zhangjiakou benefits from Winter Olympics legacy


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China's theme park ride just keeps on going up*
China Daily _Excerpt_
Mar 19, 2022 

The fast-growing Chinese appetite for amusement parks has made the country a global player in the industry and large-scale development projects are set to continue well into the future, according to a recent report.

Although the United States holds the crown for having the most amusement parks in the world, China scrubs up well with almost 3,000 of them, 93 of which each cover an area of at least 40 hectares－equivalent to 40-plus soccer fields－or have an investment of at least 1.5 billion yuan ($237.32 million).

While American big names too, like Disney and Universal, dominate the public conscience when it comes to amusement parks, many in China are homegrown and operated and future opportunities abound.

More : China's theme park ride just keeps on going up - Chinadaily.com.cn


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*China expects sharp drop in holiday travel due to COVID outbreaks*
Reuters _Excerpt_
Apr 3, 2022

China's transport ministry expects a 20 per cent drop in road traffic and a 55 per cent fall in flights during the three-day Qingming holiday due to a flare-up of COVID-19 cases in the country.

More than 27 Chinese provinces and regions have recently reported coronavirus cases, mostly the highly transmissible Omicron variant, forcing the authorities to impose stringent mobility restrictions or even city-wide lockdowns.

Chinese typically travel back to their home towns to worship their ancestors during the tomb-sweeping festival.

The average daily number of vehicles on the roads are estimated to reach 39 million to 40 million during the holiday, which kicks off on Sunday (Apr 3), down 21 per cent from the same period last year, according to a statement from the Ministry of Transport.

The number of planned flights was forecast to decrease by 55 per cent this holiday from the year before, with air travellers also at only 20 per cent of last year's levels, the ministry said.

More : China expects sharp drop in holiday travel due to COVID outbreaks


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Covid-19 in China: tour guides turn to ‘cloud tourism’ as Omicron empties scenic spots *
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
May 4, 2022

Yang Changqing has been up and down Huangshan (Yellow Mountains) dozens of times in the past week.

One time, he climbed to the top of the 1,864m (6,115 feet) range – and began to sing on camera. 
Another time, he got to the centre of a walking bridge and launched into a popular bodybuilding routine to attract online viewers.

But mostly the 37-year-old tour guide resigns himself to just posing in front of empty shops and deserted scenic spots, panning his camera for his viewers to share in the experience from their phones.

Huangshan Park, the scenic area in China’s southeastern Anhui province around the mountains, had always been a popular tourist destination during the Labour Day holiday long weekend, when entry is free.

More : Chinese tour guides turn to ‘cloud tourism’ as Omicron empties scenic spots


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China’s travel sector, already on its knees, feels the pinch of a fresh outbreak*
South China Morning Post _Excerpt_
May 13, 2022

After two years of on-and-off business due to travel restrictions and snap lockdowns, China’s travel sector was banking on 2022 being the year that everything turned around.

Instead, the country is battling its worst coronavirus outbreak in two years, which has wiped out major holiday travel and come close to extinguishing the last glimmer of hope held by many small companies.

“Tourism is dead,” said Yun Qishi, whose travel agency had no clients during the recent Labour Day holiday, a five-day break at the start of May that is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year.

More : ‘It’s terrifying’: hope dims for China’s travel sector amid latest outbreak


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Airbnb to quit China as lockdowns restrict tourism *
BBC _Excerpt_
May 24, 2022

Airbnb is shutting down its domestic rentals in China, where a "zero-Covid" policy has meant lockdowns are ongoing.

All listings for homes and experiences in the country will be removed from the company's website by summer, a source familiar with the matter told the BBC.

Stays within China made up only 1% of Airbnb's revenue over the last few years.

More : Airbnb to quit China as lockdowns restrict tourism


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* Tourism market sees recovery over Dragon Boat holiday *
China Daily _Excerpt_
June 7, 2022

China's domestic tourism market registered a steady recovery over the just concluded Dragon Boat Festival holiday from June 3 to 5, after authorities fine-tuned COVID-19 containment measures for travel against the backdrop of a stabilizing epidemic situation nationwide.

Figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism released on Sunday said the three-day holiday saw more than 79.6 million trips made nationwide, down by 10.7 percent from the same period last year. The figure is 86.8 percent of the total in 2019 before COVID-19 hit the nation.

The ministry said that tourism-related revenue also recovered to about 25.8 billion yuan ($3.87 billion) over the holiday break. The figure is about 65.6 percent of the revenue generated during the same period in 2019.

More : Tourism market sees recovery over Dragon Boat holiday


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

* China tops world in number of world natural heritage sites * 
_Excerpt_

BEIJING, June 11 (Xinhua) -- China has the world's largest number of world natural heritage sites, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The country is now home to 14 world natural heritage sites and four heritage sites noted for both cultural and natural features, both leading the world in terms of quantity, the administration said.

These heritage sites effectively protected China's representative geological relics, the gorgeous mountains, forests and lakes, along with the rare and endangered animal and plant species, the administration said. 

More : China tops world in number of world natural heritage sites


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

June 18, 2022
*Chain hotels rally together to survive pandemic blues*
China Daily _Excerpt_

Chinese chain hotels bucked trends and continued to expand, while the overall hospitality industry reported a slump in 2021 due to COVID-19, according to the 2022 China Hospitality Development Report.

The report was jointly released by the China Hospitality Association, the School of Tourism Sciences at Beijing International Studies University and a Shanghai-based consultancy earlier this month. It showed that the pandemic dealt a blow to domestic hospitality in 2021 as the number of hotels declined 9.7 percent year-on-year to 252,000.

However, chain hotels maintained robust growth momentum with their total number of outlets reaching 57,000 at the end of 2021. This marked a rise of 5,000 hotels from the end of 2019 despite the effects of the pandemic, according to the CHA.

More : Chain hotels rally together to survive pandemic blues


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