Inbound tourism still rising

Inbound tourism to the Chinese mainland has registered a small increase in the past year, but some substandard domestic travel services and the world's political and economic environment are slowing its development, Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, said on Tuesday at a summit focused on inbound tourism.

Tourists bound for China in 2017 reached 139 million, only 0.8 percent above the 2016 mark, with foreign visitors making up 20 percent of that - a year-on-year rise of 3.6 percent, according to a report released in February by the national tourism authority.

A relatively tight visa policy, high visa expenses and environmental concerns deter many visitors, Dai said.