The latest travel agency annual audit results released by China National Travel Administration shows that in 2005 travel agencies in China saw a negative growth of tour guides.

This is the first time that a decrease has been recorded in tour guide numbers in China.

In addition, 16846 travel agencies were checked, and 92.61% of them passed their annual audits.

Xue Guifeng, a deputy director from CNTA, says the number of travel agencies increased, but at a much slower rate than that of the previous year. Shandong Province had the most travel agencies in the country (1489).

In 2005 there were 295,300 registered tour guides in China. 93,900 of them belonged to travel agencies, which is 6.47% less than in 2004.