(Photo: Xinhua)

The tourism industry of China, growing up and strong from nothing, has become a name card for China’s development.

In 2018, both the country’s outbound tourism and overseas spending by Chinese tourists ranked first in the world, according to a report released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

The government has always given firm support to the tourism sector. In 1979, the industry embraced a turn in its development when Comrade Deng Xiaoping gave the orders allowing the tourism industry to be vigorously developed, with quickened steps.

In 1981, the State Council of China made the country’s first development plan for the tourism industry. Five years later, it incorporated the plan into the 7th national economic and social development scheme.

The tourism sector has witnessed how the quality of life of the Chinese increased day by day over the past years.

Back in the 1980s, travel was a service beyond the reach of most people. Now, it is affordable for most people. During the 2019 Mid-Autumn Festival, which fell in mid-September, about 105 million Chinese went on vacations.

Relevant services thrive as well. In the past, there were only about 5,000 hotel rooms in Beijing; now, there are nearly 14,000 star hotels around the country.

With the development of the Internet, especially mobile networks, people can easily finish pre-travel arrangements, such as booking air tickets and hotel rooms, and applying for a visa all via their mobile phones.

The reform and opening-up of the tourism industry has allowed China to better present itself as a world-class tourist destination.

In 1976, Beijing saw less than 20,000 foreign tourist arrivals, and the number surged to 280,000 only four years later. Deng once said that by the end of the 20th century, the tourist industry would generate $5 billion revenue each year. In 1994, about $7.3 billion tourist revenue was made, exceeding Deng’s expectation.

In 1983, China joined the United Nations World Tourism Organization, becoming more closely connected with the global industry. China ranked 13th globally in terms of the overall competitiveness of its nationwide tourism industry, up 34 ranks from 10 years prior to that, according to a report released in September 2019.