Emerging superpower China has reported further strong developments in its domestic and outbound tourism sector during the first three quarters of 2011.

However, inbound tourism growth to the country is still lagging behind.

The total number of trips in the first three quarters is expected to be 2.08 billion, an increase of 12 per cent compared to 2010.

Further, the total tourism income for 2011 is 1.66 trillion CNY, an increase of 17 per cent compared to 2010.

The national tourists’ satisfaction index shows continuing improvement and the domestic tourists’ satisfaction index in most of the sample cities has also continued to improve.

In the third quarter, the comprehensive tourists’ satisfaction index is 80.48, which means “satisfied”.

The gap between the tourism economy of each region, classed as Eastern, Central and Westerly China, is small; all stand at “relative prosperity” in the first three quarters.

Travel via high-speed train, summer vacation travel, “red tourism” and the horticultural Expo in Xi’an have effectively promoted the tourism market in the three regions.

However, the Bohai Bay oil spill has had a negative effect on coastal tourism in that area.

Stimulating the development of regional tourism with “hot” events, such as short-term fairs, has been continuously decreasing.

Currently, the field is relying more on endogenous factors such as consumption habit, the laws of the market, economical and social development and so on.

The operation of the tourism economy has now entered a relatively stable development period.

The results were published in Chinese, translated and edited by COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, based in Heide (Germany) and Beijing (China).