Smog clouds tourists' appreciation of big cities

Smog is being blamed for a drop in the Chinese domestic tourism satisfaction index.

The tourist satisfaction index for domestic destinations stood at 72.6 in the first quarter, down five points from the same period last year, according to a report released by the China Tourism Academy, affiliated with the China National Tourism Administration, on Thursday.

The score is the lowest since the academy started the quarterly tourist satisfaction survey during the second quarter of 2009.