China sees visitor numbers drop, despite Olympics

China received fewer international visitors during September 2008 than the previous year, despite the nation hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Figures from the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) the county saw 10.56 million international visitors during the month.

This represents a decrease of 5.94 per cent on the figure recorded last year.

It is though the decline in visitors was caused by a dramatic increase in hotel prices, prompted by an increase in demand due to the Olympics, as well as stricter controls on the issuing of visas.

The global financial crisis is also likely to have played a role, slowing tourism around the world.

In China revenue from tourism shrank by 11.36 per cent to £1.9 billion ($3.14 billion) in September. Furthermore, from January to September, revenue slumped 3.26 per cent.

The number of people travelling internationally from China, however, continued to increase. Some 3.72 million Chinese traveled abroad, up 9.04 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Chris O'Toole