China's Inbound Tourist Numbers Decreased By 3.78% In July

According to the latest data published by China National Tourism Administration, in July 2008, the number of inbound tourists in China was 11,057,200, a decrease of 3.78% compared to the same month of 2007.

Of these, 1,537,600 were tourists to Beijing from overseas markets, down by 18.25% compared to the same period of last year. This July, China achieved a total of USD3.256 billion in tourism foreign exchange earnings, a decrease of 12.01% year-on-year.

From January to July this year, China welcomed a total of 75,970,900 inbound tourists, representing a growth rate of 1.49% year-on-year; the number of international arrivals visiting to China increased by 1.05% to 14,560,400; and China's total tourism foreign exchange earnings was USD23.488 billion, a decrease of 0.11% from the same period of last year.

In addition, in July 2008, the number of Chinese outbound tourists was 4,202,400, an increase of 17.11% year-on-year, while that for the first seven months of 2008 totaled 26,512,100, up by 17.72% compared to the same period of last year.