Since October 1, 2008, when China's aviation industry changed the basis of the agent fee from the CAAC regulated system known as "3+X" to directly negotiated deals between airline and agent, there have been more and more voices for a reform on commission charges.

The National Development and Reform Commission and the Civil Aviation Administration of China have announced that they will suspend the fuel surcharge for domestic flights from January 25, 2009.

China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region, which has many border crossings, is trying to run cross-border travel with the surrounding countries in Central Asia to promote bilateral economic and cultural exchanges.

This will be the sixth year that Accor has staged its World of Accor expos showcasing Accor's global hotel network, along with new products and services, to travel agents, wholesalers, corporate clients, MICE organizers and tourism partners.

Korean Air has formally launched an initiative to expand in China's major and second-tier cities.

Shangri-La Hotel Suzhou has appointed Chinese national Carol Wang as director of sales and marketing.

China Southern Airlines has set up an office in Taipei and has become the first Chinese mainland airline company to be registered in Taiwan.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board is planning to launch a "Food & Wine Year" to attract tourists from the Chinese mainland and maintain its tourism increase.

Sun Jian, chief executive officer of Home Inns, one of the largest budget hotel groups in China, said on recently that because of the global financial crisis, Home Inns will slow down its expansion in 2009, but it will still retain its goal of opening 1,000 hotels in China by the end of 2011.

Due to the impact of the blizzard in south China in the beginning of 2008, the March 14 Lhasa riots, and the May 12 Wenchuan earthquake, China's inbound tourism has not developed as well as was expected. Instead it registered a decline in the Olympic year.