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The China Tourism Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, tourism associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on China’s tourism industry…
The China Tourism Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, tourism associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on China’s tourism industry.
Good Start To 2011
Although the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) has not yet released figures for tourist arrivals in 2011, it is possible to assess the general trend through examining arrivals data for Hong Kong and Macau. As a frequent entrance hub for foreign visitors coming to China, Hong Kong arrivals figures can be used as a proxy for trends within mainland China. In the first two months of the year, arrivals into Hong Kong rose by 11.9% year-on-year (y-o-y) to total 6.5mn. Similarly, tourist arrivals grew by 5.2% y-o-y in Macau in February. Macau attracts a large regional market owing to its status as a gambling hub but it tracks mainland trends less closely than Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong and Macau figures suggest that mainland China will also report positive growth figures, following the trend established in 2010. Arrivals in 2010 grew by 6.3% y-o-y as the industry recovered from the 2008-2009 downturn. BMI expects this trend to continue throughout 2011, with growth levels set to exceed those of 2010.
Cruise Sector Performs Strongly In 2010
China’s developing cruise sector continued to expand in 2010, building on a strong performance in 2009. Passenger arrivals grew by 42.9% y-o-y to reach 543,020, up from 380,000 in 2009. Cruises are now becoming one of the fastest growing sectors of domestic tourism, with the number of Chinese passengers rising from 10,000 in 2005 to 790,000 in 2010. Although China still lags behind the rest of the region in terms of cruise infrastructure, the industry’s potential is encouraging towns to upgrade their facilities. 16 of China’s 23 main ports have cruise terminals, while Tianjin opened one in late 2010 and construction will soon begin at Dalian.
China Invests In High-Speed Rail Network
In line with China’s booming growth as a tourist destination, the government is aiming to bolster infrastructure. In particular, it is developing its high-speed rail network. 5,159km of track was installed in 2010 and the government aims to lay another 4,715km in 2011, with the goal of expanding the high-speed rail network to 16,000km by 2015. The provision of the new rail network will make it quicker and easier for both domestic and international visitors to travel around the country. This may boost tourism in more distant parts of China, by providing a cheaper alternative to air travel. As such, the growth of the rail network may serve to undercut some short-haul domestic flight services.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
