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China 'to become no 2 in world tourism'
17 January 2008

China is set to become the world's second biggest tourist destination in the next ten years, according to new projections.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) announced that, over the last year, the tourism industry accounted for 72m jobs in China alone.

China's travel industry contributed 12.2% of the country's gross domestic product in 2007 and generated over £220bn, making it the fourth largest market in the world.

However, the WTTC predicts that Chinese travel and tourism will grow by 9.6% a year over the next decade, bringing the country to second spot by 2017.

Liu Yi, vice-president of the Beijing Tourism Group, said that the Olympic Games in 2008 will deliver a boost to the travel industry and also recognised the work that needs to be done to ensure positive growth in the coming years.

'The Games will have a profound impact on the entire country, but in the long term the Chinese government will need to control the calibre of people working in tourism in order to ensure quality service for the extraordinary growth in tourism arrivals both on a regional and international basis,' Mr Yi said.

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