Korean Media: The U.S. Stagnating, China Poised to Become the "Largest Tourism Economy in the World"!
On May 20, South Korean media outlet *Herald Economic* published an article stating that, according to forecasts, China is accelerating its efforts to attract foreign tourists by expanding visa-free policies and is expected to surpass the United States within a few years, becoming the world's largest tourism economy.
New data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and travel platform Chase Travel reveal that China's tourism industry grew by 9.9% last year—far outpacing the U.S. growth rate of 0.9%.
Bloomberg reports that China’s rapid expansion in the tourism market is driven by overseas tourist spending in China increasing by over 10% last year, while foreign tourist spending in the U.S. actually declined by approximately 5% during the same period.
Gloria Guevara, Chair of the World Travel & Tourism Council, stated: “The U.S. market is stagnant, while China’s market is growing at an astonishing pace. If both countries maintain their current growth rates, China will surpass the United States within the next three to four years and become the world’s largest tourism economy.”
For decades, the United States has maintained its status as a top global tourist destination thanks to iconic attractions such as Disneyland and Times Square. However, Bloomberg assesses that recent tightening of immigration restrictions and escalating geopolitical tensions are causing a decline in the number of foreign visitors.
According to data from the U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA), the number of foreign visitors to the U.S. last year was approximately 68 million, a 5.5% decrease compared to the previous year. In contrast, during the same period, foreign tourists visiting China reached 35.17 million—up 30.5% year-on-year.
Experts predict that if China continues implementing proactive visa-free policies and invests further in tourism infrastructure, the leadership of the global tourism industry will be completely transformed by the late 2020s.
Meanwhile, China is taking measures to allow citizens from about 50 countries, including South Korea, the UK, and Canada, to enter visa-free, with a maximum stay of up to 30 days. It is estimated that 73% of all foreign tourists entering China last year did so under visa-free arrangements.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865669441325067/
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