China tops Asia's tourist sources

BEIJING, Aug. 7 -- According to Pan-Beibu Gulf

Economic Cooperation Forum that opened Thursday, tourism industry has become an

important role in Chinese national economy.

China has become the fourth largest tourist

destination and Asia's largest supplier of tourist sources.

Soundbite: Liu Jinping, deputy president of China

Tourism Association "As international cooperation expanding, 137 countries and

regions have been popular tour destinations for Chinese citizens. And China is

joining the world tourism market at a higher level. With the support of the

central government and other cooperative parties, tourist cooperation along

Pan-Beibu Gulf is offering great opportunity."

In the past four years, Pan-Beibu Gulf region has

completed the tourism development planning. The construction of tourism union

and barrier-free region began to take shape, with the establishment of

information platform, elite tour and brand image. Pan-Beibu Gulf has correlated

the tourism industry with its economy development.

Cooperated with Pan-Pearl River Delta, Greater Mekong

Sub-region and Vietnam, tourism industry in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in

south China will have bright prospects when China-ASEAN free trade area is

completed in 2010.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from

Nanning.