A Diverse Tourism

People’s Daily October 9

For the eight-day “Golden Week” holiday of the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival, a lot of people chose to go touring.

According to the National Tourism Administration, from October 1 to 7, various scenic spots received a total of 660 million tourists across China. Statistics reveal that in the first half of this year, the per-capita expense on domestic tourism reached 855 yuan ($128.98), which accounts for 10 percent of the nation’s per-capita consumption expenditure. Nowadays, tourism has become more diverse. Statistics show that 80 percent of the Chinese’s travelling is not for scenic spots. More people choose to stay in locals’ village houses instead of hotels. Tourism is no longer confined to visiting a scenic spot. Theme parks, museums and traditional culture streets have also seen an obvious growth in the number of visitors. Tourists pursue high quality and better experience in their trips.

Rapid expansion of China’s high-speed railway network makes it more convenient for people to reach famous scenic spots. Mobile payments and improved Internet services have also contributed to the booming tourism industry.

Today, Chinese tourists begin to pay more attention to the quality of their trips than before. The overall tourism environment should also catch up. Continuous efforts from both tourists and the industry will push China’s tourism to new heights.