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China's tourism industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the national economy and is also one of the industries with a very distinct global competitive edge. The total revenue of China's tourism industry reached USD 67.3 billion in 2002, accounting for 5.4% of the GDP. Inbound Market: The total number of inbound tourists was 91.7 million in 2003, and that of tourists staying overnight was 32.7 million, about 10 times of the number in 1980. International tourism receipts were USD 17.4 billion in 2003. China's ranking for both the overnight tourist arrivals and tourism receipts were among the world's top five in 2003. However, there is unlikely to be a big increase in the inbound tourism market. Outbound Market: A large middle class population with strong consumption power is emerging in China, especially in major cities. China's outbound tourists reached 20.2 million in 2003, overtaking Japan for the first time. Currently there are 65 countries/areas open to Chinese tour groups. Hotel: Driven by the flourishing tourism industry, China's tourist hotel sector is expanding rapidly. At the end of 2003, China had a total of 10'093 tourist hotels and more than 820'000 rooms. 773 of these tourist hotels were foreign-funded. The number of foreign-funded (inclusive of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan investments) four- and five-star tourist hotels made up 26% and 30% of the national total, respectively. Source: China Knowledge Press, Sep 2004
Further reading:
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Chinese Travelers: Trends for Adventure Companies and Destinations