Among the domestic travel agencies, State-owned, share-holding enterprises and other types of enterprises are the main 3 types of enterprises. Some large domestic enterprises have stepped in and injected new blood into this industry. The total ownership rights amount increased remarkably; the registered capital continuously expanded; the number of employees increased dramatically and more employment opportunities were provided to the society.

Over half of the travel agencies concentrated in 9 provinces and municipalities including Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Liaoning, Shanghai, Beijing, Henan, and Hebei. The leading international travel agencies are from the following places: Guangdong, Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Chongqing, Fujian, Hainan, Shaanxi, and Guangxi. The leading domestic travel agencies are from Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Yunnan, Sichuan, Beijing, Fujian, and Shandong.

Guangdong Province was No. 1 in 6 areas: profits, total annual promotion fee, actual tax payment, number of employees, domestic tour group organization and reception and outbound tourism, making Guangdong a key region of tourism consumption. Beijing was No. 1 in 3 areas: foreign exchange settlement, inbound external liaison person/day and reception person/day and is the most attractive inbound tourism destination city.

In 2001, the total inbound external liaison volume was 7.834 million person/times, a 24.67percent increase over the previous year; external liaison person-days was 31.3682 million, a 26.2percent increase from that of 2000. The total number of foreign tourists received was 14.5364 million person/times, up 27.09percent. The total days of inbound tourists received were 32.7584 million, up 24.56percent. The income of inbound tourism was 15 billion yuan, which accounted for 26.65percent of the total tourism income of all the travel agencies. The profit reached 561 million yuan, accounting for 45.69percent of the total profits of all the travel agencies of China. The income profit rate was 3.74percent, down by 0.2percent from 2000.

The number of domestic tour groups organized in 2001 was 35.1617 million person/times, an increase of 31.95percent, and 94.6187 million person/days, up by 40.95 percent over 2000. The total number of tourists received was 58.9439 million person/times, up by 37.96percent, and 102.6648 million person/days, increasing 34.62 percent from 2000. The income of domestic tourism was 33.133 billion yuan, accounting for 58.87 percent of the total tourism income of all travel agencies. The profit of the income of domestic tourism was 379 million yuan, accounting for 30.87 percent of the total profit of tourism income. The income profit rate was 1.15 percent, up 0.09 percent from 2000.

There were 1.5202 million person/times organized for outbound tours, increasing 27.42 percent, and 8.5551 million person/days, up 11.53 percent. Tours to Hong Kong and Macao was 1.2797 million person/times, down by 22.12 percent, and 5.4183 person/days, down by 26.2 percent from 2000. Boarder tours organized was 895,400 person/times, decreased by 14.56 percent, and 2.25 million person/days, increasing3.23 percent over that of 2000. Income from outbound tourism was 8.157 billion yuan, accounting for 14.5 percent of the total tourism income; profit of outbound tourism was 286 million yuan, accounting for 23.29percent of the total profit from tourism business; income profit rate was 3.51, down 1.08 percent.

Analyzing the 3 main tourism businesses in China---domestic tourism, inbound tourism, and outbound tourism of 2001, the scale of domestic tourism was the largest with the highest income. Inbound tourism ranked the second while outbound tourism came the third. According to official statistics, by the end of 2001, all types of travel agencies achieved a total operation income of 58.98 billion yuan, a rise of 25.5 percent over that of 2000. The actual tax payment was 763 million yuan, a decrease of 4.62percent. A total profit of 1.228 billion yuan was achieved, a 17.6 percent increase.

Compared to 2000, structure of the tourism profit changed.The profit from inbound tourism came the first, while that of the domestic tourism and that of the outbound tourism came the second and the third. The profit rate from domestic tourism was showing an increasing momentum while the profit rate from the outbound tourism and the inbound tourism saw a decreasing trend.

China is now ranked the fifth largest country in the world in terms of the number of tourist received and ranked the 7th in terms of foreign exchange earning. However, China is still not a big tourism power since its travel agencies are still very weak to match a tourism power.

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