According to preliminary data released by China National Tourism Administration, 247 top travel cities in China have made 90% of the country's total tourism income.

Most of these 247 cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai, are located in the coastal areas of China. They receive the most inbound tourists and most of them have received large funding from their local governments to promote tourism.

Since 1995, the CNTA has awarded 247 cities the title of "Excellent Travel Cities" and Liu Kezhi, a director from CNTA, says that city travel has constituted an important part of China's tourism industry. He says these 247 excellent travel cities have become the basic force behind making China a strong travel country.