Travel, tourism boom for Chinese cities
Five of the top 10 fastest-growing cities in the world in terms of travel and tourism are located in China, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announced on Thursday in Shanghai where it hosted its third annual Asia Leaders Forum.
The global travel and tourism economy grew by 3.9 percent last year, and in China, the contribution of travel and tourism to GDP reached 11 percent, according to the latest WTTC report.
In addition, more than 79,900 jobs were supported by the travel and tourism sector in China last year, according to the report.
Between 2008 and 2018, Shanghai was the fourth fastest-growing city in terms of travel and tourism in the world; and other Chinese cities in the top 10 were Chongqing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, according to WTTC.
The forum gathered government authorities, industry associations, academics, experts and regional travel representatives to discuss topics such as contemporary trends in Asian travel and tourism, cultural tourism, the rise of Asian cities for tourism and the importance of destination stewardship.
"China is the No. 1 country for employment generated by travel & tourism, and in 10 years it is projected to become the largest travel and tourism market in the world," said Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of WTTC.