On 28th February 2014, H.E. Mr. Gong Jianzhong, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana delivered a speech onInvestment Opportunities in China’s Tourism at the PUBLIC FORUM ON TOURISM organized by Ghana-China Friendship Association (GHACHIFA). In his speech, Ambassador GONG briefed the development of China’s tourism and encouraged the Ghanaians to take advantage of the boom of China tourism to tap the potential and further spur the tourism sector of Ghana.

The full text reads as follows:

(All Protocols are observed)

First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Eghan for inviting me to attend this forum and offering me an opportunity to make remarks on Investment Opportunities in China’s tourism. As we all know that tourism is an important economic sector in the world today. It’s necessary for us to share ideas and experience to further promote the development of the tourism sector and strengthen our cooperation in this regard.

Most Ghanaian friends are no strangers to China. The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square in Beijing, cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Chinese food, Kungfu and Panda among other things, are all well-known icons of China’s tourism. The vast territory, 5000-year-long history and diversified ethnic cultures endow China with abundant tourism resources. Traveling around China and touring the fascinating natural, historical and cultural sites and experiencing the various folk customs, you can fully feel the ups and downs, glories and disgrace this old oriental country tasted in the past and the vigor and vitality of the new China in the contemporary world.

Tourism in China has greatly expanded over the last few decades since the introduction of reform and opening-up. Now, China has come out as one of the most-watched and hottest inbound and outbound tourist markets in the world. According to the latest statistics from the Chinese side, China’s tourism revenue totaled $480 billion in 2013, with an increase of 14 percent over the previous year. The domestic tourism registered 3.3 billion passenger trips last year with around $430 billion of revenue, up 15.7 percent over year 2012. China registered 129 million international tourist arrivals with a decline of 2.5% due to the financial crises in Europe and the revaluation of the Chinese currency. So, the foreign exchange earnings are about $51.7 billion with an increase of 3% compared with year 2012. Chinese tourists made a total of 98.2 million trips overseas, climbing 18 percent from a year early, and spent $120 billion, with an increase of 20% over the previous year. This made China the largest spender in international tourism globally surpassing Germany and the United States. In the last decade, China has consolidated its status as the largest outbound tourism market in Asia. In 2014, China is expected to become the largest tourist receiving country and the fourth largest source of outbound travel in the world with 110 million outbound travelers. It is estimated that China will become the largest travel and tourism market in terms of GDP and outbound travelers by 2023.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The boom of China’s tourism should be attributed mainly to the marvelous achievements China has made in economic development since the introduction of reform and opening-up. As we all know, tourism comprises many sectors such as transportation, catering, hospitality etc. The boom of China’s tourism synchronizes the gathering of China’s economic strength, which empowers China to launch large-scale infrastructure construction to lay a solid foundation for the future outburst of China’s tourism within a short period. The rising disposable income and the remarkable improvement of the living of the residents have made the demand for both domestic and international tourism ever-growing. The economic miracle China has made aroused the attention of the world and enabled China to host Olympics and other major sports events as well as international conferences. The dividends we get from the reform and opening-up has revitalized tourism sector in China and expanded the two-way flow of the Chinese and international tourists.

All the fronts of China’s tourism, including the domestic, inbound and outbound tourism market of China, will further prosper for a couple of reasons. I think many of you have noticed that the Chinese Government is now assiduously tackling the industrial pollution and is committed to building a “beautiful China”. By doing so, China’s tourism will further gather momentum of development. Besides, China is now an important destination for global sports events and regional and international conferences and the center of economic activities. Meanwhile, the visa simplification and facilitation, which is a world-wide trend, will further boost the tourism in China. The law on tourism approved and implemented last year has also brought sanity to this sector. Though glittering achievements have been registered in the tourism sector, there is still great potential to tap. And, of course, there are also many gracing opportunities in China’s tourism.