Hotels in China: Flights to China

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With the Olympics coming in 2008, China is on pace to take the No. 1 seat for tourist destinations in the world in 2014, 6 years than previously predicted.

According to the officials in China National Tourism Administration, the number of tourists to mainland China has increased from 300,000 in 1978 to 22 million in 2006, excluding tourists from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and this number is increasing by double digits.

On the other hand, France, the current No. 1 destination in the world, is experiencing slow growth. Thus, experts predict that China will take over the No. 1 seat from France in 2014, not 2020 as previously predicted. According to World Tourist Organizaiton, China has already surpassed US to become the No. 3 in terms of foreign visitor arrivals. The Asian giant would then pass Spain, number two, by the end of the decade.

With an expected boost from next year’s Beijing Olympics, and another shot in the arm supplied by the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, China will overtake France by 2014, Xu said. The Chinese capital is preparing to receive 500,000 overseas visitors during the 2008 Summer Games from August 8-24, up from 350,000 visitors in August 2006. Those Olympic visitors are expected to spend about five billion dollars, according to China’s tourist board.

Meanwhile, foreign tour operators and airlines are expanding services to meet growing demand in Beijing and across the country. “Our China business has grown 20 percent annually over recent years,” said Eric Bouladou, manager for French firm Nouvelles Frontieres.

One explanation for China's appeal is the wide variety of destinations on offer, he said.

In the world's most populous nation, a tourist can find tranquillity in the remote mountains of Tibet, visit ancient archaeological sites such as the Terracotta Warriors in Xian, climb the Great Wall, party in the big cities, relax on a southern island beach and eat several types of Chinese food.

"There is no typical tourist, so the range is very wide from budget to luxury," Bouladou said.

With China in high demand, Air France-KLM is boosting capacity, notably offering five extra flights per week to Shanghai this summer.

"We have very strong bookings," said Air France's director for greater China, Frank Legre.

The economic impacts for China of its tourism industry are stunning.

This year alone China's tourism industry is expected to generate $78bn, 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), a figure that could rise to 277bn by 2017, according to the World Tourism Organisation.

In Beijing, China's top tourist draw, revenue from the industry is growing at about 7% a year, accounting for around 8% of the city's gdp, according to official figures.

The broader impact of the thriving sector on the rest of the economy is huge, accounting for $440bn this year and up to 1.6 trillion by 2017, the World Tourism Organisation said.