It’s not just travel by Chinese tourists to Europe and the U.S. that’s been growing rapidly. So has Chinese tourism at home, and visits by others to China.
In fact, surging growth in tourism in and to China has pushed it up to 10% of China’s national economy, reaching the equivalent of over $800 billion (5.3 trillion renminbi) in 2017.
According to China’s National Tourism Administration, that reflects a growth well into double-digits each of the past three quarters. In terms of people, 5.1 billion foreign and domestic travelers went somewhere in China, while 128 million Chinese tourists traveled overseas in 2017, most to nearby areas.
According to the report, Chinese tourists have become more rational regarding shopping, but have shifted their focus to cultural and dining experiences. The agency predicts growth will continue far into the future, and believes that for the near term “China’s tourism industry will keep improving and developing in 2018, and is expected to offer one million new jobs. Tourism spending in 2018 is expected to be over 6 trillion renminbi.”
