UK failing to lure Chinese tourists

LONDON - The United Kingdom is lagging behind its European neighbors in attracting Chinese tourists, according to a new report by the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies and Hilton Hotels & Resorts.

The report estimates around 127,000 Chinese tourists came to the UK in 2010, while France, Italy and Germany are each currently attracting between 500,000 and 700,000 Chinese visitors.

More travelers to Europe come from China than any other Asian country. In 2010, China's outbound tourists spent 30.4 billion pounds ($48.7 billion) on their travels, up 14 percent on the previous year and on track to reach 34.8 billion pounds this year.