China Predicted to Become World’s Most Popular Tourism Destination

Speaking at the 18th World Travel Monitor Forum in Pisa, Professor Haivan Song of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University said, “By 2030, China will be the world’s most popular tourism destination.” In addition, he added, during the next 20 years China would replace Germany as the world’s most travelled nation. Song lectures at the world’s second-largest university, teaching travel and hospitality courses. “When visa regulations for citizens from the People’s Republic of China eventually change, tourists from China can be expected to vastly outnumber those from any other country,” he said.

Launched by the consultancy IPK International and sponsored by ITB Berlin, the annual World Travel Monitor Forum in Pisa hosts tourism experts and scientists from around the world to present current statistics and the latest trends in international tourism.

According to Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s forecasts, in five years, arrivals in China will have already risen from 150 million to 385 million. “At the current rate, China will be an economic power equal to Europe and the U.S. combined. China’s role in international tourism will be similar,” said Song. Relaxing visa regulations will also significantly affect the makeup of tourism out of China. “When these barriers fall, Chinese citizens will also undertake tours on their own,” he added. According to the German National Tourism Board, from January to August 2010 the number of overnights by Chinese citizens in Germany alone rose to 652,459, a year-on-year increase of 28 percent.

According to Song, the travel boom forecast for China over the next two decades means the country faces huge challenges. “A massive effort will be needed in China to train people for jobs in the travel and hotel industry”, he said.