Modern
tourism in China sprang up in the early 1950s. In 1954,
the China International Travel Service was established,
with 14 branches in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing and
other major cities. In 1964, the State Tourism Administration
of China was formally established. Since the initiation
of the policies of reform and opening to the outside
world in 1978, China's tourism has entered a stage of
rapid development. In 1999, the number of tourists entering
China reached 72.8 million, of which 8.43 million were
foreign tourists, 40 times the figure for 1978. Consequently,
the foreign exchange income from this industry reached
US$14.1 billion, 54 times that of 1978. Currently, China
has become an important tourism destination in Asia,
and the fifth large fourism country in the world. Domestic
tourism is also growing vigorously. In 1999, the number
of domestic tourists reached 719 million, spending a
total of 283.2 billion yuan, 14.3 percent and 105.9
percent increases over 1995, respectively. With the
improvement of the Chinese people's living standards,
Chinese citizens have an increasingly strong interest
in traveling abroad. In recent years, Chinese citizens
have traveled to Southeast Asia and Europe. Foreign
travel agencies are now opening offices in China to
attract Chinese to travel abroad.
Now, China is fast on its way to becoming a country
with developed tourism, and constantly improving tourism
facilities and services. It is estimated that, by 2020,
China will be the world's No. 1 tourism destination
and the fourth-largest nation of tourists.
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