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Inbound tourism has made an increasingly significant contribution to the PRC's economic development over the past decade, or even longer. The large number of tourist arrivals brought the PRC approximately US$25.7 billion of tourist receipt in 2004. According to the World Tourism Organization, the number of international tourist arrivals in the PRC increased from 10.5 million in 1990 to 41.8 million in 2004 at a CAGR of 10.4%. The market share of the PRC's total number of international arrivals increased from 2.4% in 1990 to 5.5% in 2004, ranking 4th among all other countries around the world. The World Tourism Organization has projected that the PRC will become the largest single destination by 2020 with 137 million international tourists and a market share of 8.6%.
The chart below illustrates the growth of the PRC's market share in the international tourism industry in terms of international tourist arrivals from 1990 to 2004:
The steady, strong growth in demand for the PRC as an international destination - both for business and leisure travel - reflects the increasing priority given to tourism in the country's overall development policies, as well as the opening of the country to the outside world. Access has been facilitated by increased international airline flights to the PRC and by massive improvements in infrastructure, together with the development of new hotels and other tourist attractions. These improvements in turn have enhanced the PRC's status in international trade and business and increased global awareness of its cultural heritage. As at 31 December 2005 , 31 cultural, natural and other locations in the PRC were considered to have outstanding universal value by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and were listed among 781 other locations on the World heritage List. |
