China will become the most important tourist destination in the next five to seven years, said Secretary General of World Tourism Organization (WTO), Taleb Rifai, in an interview at FITUR, international tourism fair in Spain.
“We can expect China to become the number one country in number of visitors attracted, as well as a country of origin for tourists. It is simply a natural development”, said the WTO official quoted by China Daily.
China has 22 stands at the Spanish tourism fair. Last year, this country was visited by 53 million tourists.
“China took Italy’s place as the fourth most important tourist destination two or three years ago,” Rifai added.
Currently, France is the country that attracts the most tourists, 80 million each year. USA and Spain are visited by 60 million tourists a year.
“China is the most populous country in the world and also has a large and diverse area. It is therefore very attractive to tourists,” said Secretary General of the WTO. He gave the example of the wide variety of attractions: from the sea to the mountains and many cultural destinations.
Another aspect that attracts visitors in China is local hospitality. “Tourists come to places where they feel welcome and comfortable. This country knows how to entertain tourists and this is more important than any political issues”, he concluded.