World unites on tourism at development conference
Updated: 2016-05-19 08:47
By Li Jinzao(China Daily)
|
|||||||||
The Palace Museum is a leading Beijing tourist attraction.[Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/China Daily] |
The First World Conference on Tourism for Development, which holds its opening ceremony in Beijing on Thursday, allows us to jointly shape the future of the world. Though China's tourism industry is behind in its development compared to other countries, the nation has emerged as a major destination for tourism and has maintained strong growth momentum.
Since 2012, China has led the world in overseas tourism consumption, at more than 13 percent of the annual global tourism revenue, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
In 2015, the country recorded more than 4.1 billion domestic tourist trips, 120 million outbound visits and 130 million international tourist arrivals.
The tourism industry contributed more than 10.8 percent to China's GDP last year, and 10.2 percent of the jobs created in the country have come from the tourism sector.
For more than 30 years, tourism development in the country has focused on the building of scenic spots, tourist attractions, restaurants and hotels, which is often called the model of "scenic tourism".
However, under the current model, the construction and operation of tourist spots and attractions are separated and isolated from the rest of the society. What's inside the tourist spots and what's outside are like two different worlds.
It is imperative that we shift toward a new model of "holistic development of tourism destinations".
Under this model, the country is managed as a tourism destination with standardized functions and the tourism industry is placed at the heart of national development.
- Russia to build first cruise liner in 60 years
- LinkedIn, Airbnb match refugees with jobs, disaster survivors with rooms
- Duterte 'willing to improve ties' with Beijing
- Canadian PM to introduce transgender rights bill
- Hillary Clinton says her husband not to serve in her cabinet
- New York cake show designs fool your eyes
- Highlights at Google I/O developers conference
- Nation celebrates International Museum Day
- Body brushwork creates vivid animals
- Can you still recognize these cities?
- A private museum owner's devotion to cultural protection
- China's top 10 archaeological discoveries
- Apple's CEO Tim Cook's eight visits to China in four years
- Annual New York cake show designs fool your eyes
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
Liang avoids jail in shooting death
China's finance minister addresses ratings downgrade
Duke alumni visit Chinese Embassy
Marriott unlikely to top Anbang offer for Starwood: Observers
Chinese biopharma debuts on Nasdaq
What ends Jeb Bush's White House hopes
Investigation for Nicolas's campaign
Will US-ASEAN meeting be good for region?
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |