中国出境旅游创历史新高

A report released by the two institutions shows that the number of outbound tourists from China is set to increase by 12% this year, hitting a record high.
 
More than 12 million people traveled overseas during the first two months of this year, representing a 20% growth year-on-year.

Outbound tourism in the country has seen a major boom over the past several years. Last year, the number of trips exceeded 70 million. That's 1.2 times larger than that of the U.S.

Jiang Yiyi, Deputy Director of the China Tourism Academy, explains.

"Now it's much easier to apply for tourist visas. For example, Japan has adjusted its tourist visa application criteria four times since 2009 to attract more Chinese visitors. And Chinese tourists can visit Jeju Island in South Korea without the need of a visa. Another key factor is the appreciation of the RMB. A trip to certain southeast Asian countries can sometimes be more cost effective than a trip to Hainan Province in south China."

Last year, China opened up its outbound tourism market to international investment by issuing licenses to three joint venture travel agencies.

Jiang Yiyi believes the opening up of the market will bring with it more options for domestic visitors.

"The three joint ventures have very strong backgrounds in the field of international tourism. They have sophisticated networks abroad. With their strong suits, they could offer diversified services to domestic customers."

With the approaching of the International Labor Day on the 1st of May, a national public holiday here in China, outbound travel is expected to reach a seasonal peak.

"In our travel agency, this month and next month's tour packages to Thailand are almost fully booked. During the public holiday, the prices may rise by 10 to 20 per cent. "

Jiang Yiyi from the China Tourism Academy suggests tourists to exercise caution as the number of visitors soar and safety and quality of travel must be ensured.

"Last year, the tourism authorities signed an agreement with Russia to set up a safety network to protect Chinese visitors in that country. Travel agencies which breach the industrial code may have their licenses revoked. "

The World Tourism Organization forecasted that China would grow into the world's fourth-largest source of outbound tourists by 2015.

By that time, it is expected that 100 million Chinese citizens will travel overseas annually.

For CRI, I'm Wu Jia.