Keynote Address "Efforts to Promote Tourism in China (Case Study & Report)"
Yang Zhen Yi
Resident Director in Osaka, China National Tourism Administration (CNTA)
During my tenure at the China National Tourism Administration, up until 1996, I visited Japan some 18 times. In January 1997, I was appointed CNTA Resident Director in Osaka, making it now 1 year and 10 months that I have been at this post. Nevertheless - and most regretfully - in all this time, I have not had the chance to come to Shiga Prefecture. I am very happy to be here today and equally grateful to those who have made it possible for me to come. I particularly would like to express my deepest appreciation to the Asia-Pacific Exchange Center and other parties involved, for holding this International Tourism Workshop and giving me this opportunity to speak before you.
The China National Tourism Administration comes under the direct administration of China's central government. It oversees and manages tourism for the entire country. This year, China simplified its governmental organization and cut many departments . In any case, the CNTA was left as before. What this indicates is the great importance that the central government places on development of the tourist industry.
This was always clearly pointed out by Deng-Xiano ping, who said, "There is much that can be written in the book of the tourist industry, so we must undertake this speedily and with priority." He views tourism as an important source of foreign capital procurement. Presently, there is a big movement amongst local governments to develop the tourist industry in their respective areas; development plans and strategies are being formulated one after another. Already, 22 provinces, state-administered cities and self-administered areas are developing tourism as an important industry in their 9th 5-year plans. Of these governments, 10 have ranked tourism as a pillar or "leadership " industry of local economic development, while 7 have ranked it as an important industry for economic development and 3 a "leading sector" of the service industry. Already, tourism accounts for 5 % Of the gross regional product in Yunnan, Shaanxi and Zhejing Provinces, while over 13 % in the cities of Beijing and Shanghai.
Restructuring at CNTA set up General Administrative Office, Department of Planning Statistics & Finance, Department of Travel Promotion & International Liaison, Department of Quality Standardization & Management, Department of Policy & Law, Department of Personnel Labour & Education, and so forth.
Of these, the Tourism Promotion and International Relations Department used to be called the International Market Development Department. I worked in that department for many years. To open up a market of foreigner tourists, the CNTA set up 16 offices abroad. In Japan, there are 2 offices, one in each Tokyo and Osaka. I was sent by the CNTA to Osaka in January of 1997 to open the office there, where we are responsible for PR and tourism promotion for Western Japan.
China's tourist industry is still very young as an industry. But, it is the fastest developing industry in the country .
The industry was established when China began opening up to the world, this being in the early part of the 1980s. It has not even been in existence for 20 twenty years yet. Nonetheless, in these near 20 years, the industry has grown in leaps and bounds, and, today, it is of a considerable size as an industry.
