Foreign visitors take in panoramic views at a tourist attraction in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, on June 19. WANG HUABIN/FOR CHINA DAILY
Riding the wave of growing overseas enthusiasm for China, Chinese companies are launching fresh initiatives to expand their influence and boost inbound tourism.
In a bid to make China a top destination for global travelers, Liang Jianzhang, chairman of online travel agency Trip.com announced on May 31 plans to invest 15 billion yuan ($2.21 billion) to promote Chinese culture and tourism worldwide in the coming five years, supporting the goal of attracting 200 million international tourists.
The decision comes amid growing global interest in China, with enthusiasm spanning everything from the country's history, culture and language to its tourist attractions, technology, films, TV dramas, and video games.
Confident in its growth prospects, Liang is betting on inbound tourism as the next growth engine for China's service sector. Boosted by a series of policy measures introduced by the Chinese government, China's inbound tourism market has seen robust growth.
