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Last November, the State Council approved policies that will promote the industry under the "Guidelines to Accelerate the Development of the Tourism Industry."
China has declared tourism to be "a strategic pillar of its economic reform," said Jean-Claude Baumgarten, president of London-based World Travel and Tourism Council, at the WTTC's 10th annual summit Wednesday in Beijing.
The world's leaders in travel and tourism are gathered in the capital city to assess the industry's development, offering a cautiously optimistic outlook and acknowledging its resilience in a year of seemingly endless crises.
Despite the global economic recession, China is now the second-largest tourism market in the world, behind only the U.S., which has been losing its market share over the last decade.
The Chinese made 1.9 billion domestic trips last year and 46 million overseas trips, said Shao Qiwei, chairman of China National Tourism Association, adding that China has become the biggest source for outbound tourism in Asia.
And he cited a World Tourism Organization prediction that China will become the largest nation for inbound tourism and the fourth-largest source of outbound tourism in the world by 2015.
Zhang Huiguang, director general of the Beijing Tourism Association, attributed the growth of China's tourism industry to China's resources and its rising middle class.
Chinese industry leaders boasted impressive figures while highlighting government efforts to further tourism development.
"China boasts rich and diverse natural tourism resources and splendid cultural tourism resources," said Zhang Huiguang, director general of the Beijing Tourism Association. "The promotion of international prestige and the very fast increase of people's income in the country have both created the favorable conditions for the accelerated development of China's tourism industry."
In Beijing alone, tourism accounts for more than 10 percent of the city's GDP, or 1 trillion yuan, said Ding Xiangying, the city's vice mayor. Beijing welcomes 10 million international and 200 million domestic visitors every year.
The travel and tourism industry also creates many jobs. In its annual report, the WTTC said that 1 in every 12 jobs is related to the industry. In China, travel and tourism employs 11 million people directly and 5 million people indirectly, Shao said.
J.W. Marriott, chairman and CEO of the company, said China expects 2 billion visitors this year.
China's robust tourism prospects have prompted hotel group Marriott International to double the number of its hotels in China over the next five years to 120. It currently has 45 hotels under JW Marriott, Marriott, Renaissance, Courtyard by Marriott, Marriott Executive Apartments and Ritz-Carlton brands. The company will increase that number to 60 by the end of this year.
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