China's booming tourism market finds new partnerships

Following the booming growth of China's outbound tourism in recent years, international tourism giants have flooded into the nation, with Turkish Airlines last weekend signing an agreement with a Guangzhou travel agency to jointly explore the huge potential of the mainland market, reports the People's Daily Overseas Edition.

The international tourism giants are hoping to conduct a reshuffle of the Chinese tourism market through collaboration with domestic tourism companies or mergers and acquisitions.

In 2013, China's outbound tourism grew rapidly, with 97.3 million Chinese nationals visiting foreign countries, up 18% from a year earlier. Abroad, they spent US$120 billion, up 20% year-on-year. In the first eight months of this year, the number of Chinese tourists in Turkey rose 40% year-on-year, thus triggering the cooperation between Turkish Airlines and the Guangdong travel agency, according to Turkey's consulate in Guangzhou.

International tourism giants already mapped out strategies in China for their potential market. In August, Priceline, the world's largest online travel agency (OTA), bought a stake in China's Ctrip.com to strengthen its global strategic partnership. Expedia, another US OTA giant, also has a local partner in China. In 2009, US-based TripAdvisor acquired a local OTA company.

Royal Caribbean International, one of the world's leadng international cruise lines, plans to park its top luxury cruise, Quantum of the Seas, in Shanghai in 2015, moving from New York.

The great promise of China's tourism market and huge consumption potential are exactly the reasons why international tourism giants are coming to China one after the other, said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Research Institute.

According to statistics from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the number of China's outbound tourists and their travel consumption both ranked no. 1 in the world in 2013. In the next five years, about 500 million Chinese tourists will visit abroad.

Recently, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders summit, US president Barack Obama announced the relaxation of visa approvals to Chinese tourists, a move which will inject billions of dollars into the US economy and create demand to support hundreds of thousands of additional US jobs.

Following the booming growth of China's internet economy, Chinese tourism enterprises will also take the chance to expand their business scale. Spearheading the move are the three internet giants — Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent — which are already in OTA talks abroad, the report said.

Source: Want China Times

Direct flight to link Kunming with Paris

(Xinhua) A regular direct air route between Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province, and Paris, is expected to be launched on December 18, said the Yunnan Branch of China Eastern Airlines on Friday.

An Airbus A330-200 aircraft will depart every Monday, Thursday and Saturday from Kunming. The 9,471-km trip will take about 13 hours, according to the airline.

Kunming is known as Spring City in China for its mild climate and green environment. The city began offering international transit passengers 72-hour visa-free stays on October 1st.

The new route, the first intercontinental direct route departing from Yunnan, can further boost tourism in the province, as well as countries in Europe, Southeast and South Asia.

Source: xinhua via china daily

Direct air route links Wuxi with Seoul

(Xinhua) A direct air route between Wuxi, a flourishing city in East China's Jiangsu province, and Seoul, capital of the Republic of Korea, opened on Friday.

The maiden flight took off at 8 am on Friday from Wuxi and arrived in Seoul three hours later. China Eastern Airlines will fly the route every Monday and Friday and ROK's Asiana Airlines will fly the route every Tuesday and Saturday.

The city currently has 8 international and regional routes linking the city with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, ROK and Thailand.

Source: xinhua via china daily

China Unveils New Train Ticket Policy

(CRI) China's railway authorities have announced new measures aimed at facilitating train ticket buyers.

According to the new policies, starting from Friday, people will be able to book tickets during 21 time periods between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Previously, the number of time periods was 16.

Each period will last 30 minutes, with new tickets available in different railway stations across the country. Tickets for regular and hi-speed trains will be sold together.

The adjustment is applied to both online and telephone ticket reservations.

To buy a ticket on 12306.cn, China's official train ticket website, is always a headache for anxious travelers during public holidays, especially the New Year Period. Tickets for popular routes could be snapped up within seconds, and problems concerning website access are common due to the huge number of visitors.

During the Chinese New Year period in early 2014, the railway system transported about 260 million people between cities where they work and their hometowns.

Source: CRI

Visa change may boost tourism to the US

(China Daily) Extended durations will enable Chinese travelers easier access to the United States, but could also result in a surge in wealthy nationals moving away for good.

Since she gave birth to her first child in the United States in 2011, Wu Na, a 34-year-old in Beijing, has been considering "buying" her way into the country.

However, her US entry ticket - the EB-5 Visa Program - requires a minimum investment of $500,000 and the creation of at least 10 full-time jobs.

Under the program, if foreign investors finance certain commercial projects and fulfill a number of requirements, they and their families can obtain permanent residence in the country, according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Wu's husband owns a factory in Hebei province. The business generates annual revenue of millions of yuan, but the family is still hesitant about applying for so-called investment immigration because of the risks associated with such projects and the uncertainties inherent in living in a strange country.

So when US President Barack Obama announced a deal to extend visas for Chinese visitors to the US for up to 10 years, Wu was flooded with new hopes for her "American dream".

"The new visa policy means I can go to the US anytime I want within a 10-year period, and gain comprehensive knowledge about the country before making a decision about living there," she said with a smile.

Under the new bilateral policy, which came into effect on Nov 12, China and the US have extended the duration of multiple-entry, short-term tourist and business visas from one year to 10, and student visas have been extended from one year to five. Before the change, citizens of both counties had to renew their business, tourist, and student visas annually.

Yang Ping, a lawyer with the Global Investment Immigration Lawyers Association, said the new policy is good news for Chinese investors who are considering emigrating because it will help them make a rational choice.

However, he said, the new visa program doesn't mean the standards of eligibility for a US visa will be loosened, and the duration of each visit will still be determined by US Customs and Border Protection officers.

"As a result, the new visa program is not that helpful to people who intend to stay in the US for a long time, so more Chinese will choose investment immigration to the US," Yang said.

The latest statistics show that of the 10,692 EB-5 visas issued from October 2013 and September, 9,128 went to Chinese nationals.

John Deyong Hu, a lawyer with The Law Office of Hu and Associates, said most of his clients who opt for investment immigration cite better education for their children, and environmental factors such as safer food and cleaner air and water as the prime reasons, and these factors will not be influenced by the change in the visa policy.

While some travel industry insiders believe the new visa policy will have little impact on investment immigration in China, many agencies believe it will result in a surge in the number of Chinese traveling to the US.

Diana Dai, marketing director of vocations at Ctrip International Travel Service Co in Shanghai, said the company has noticed a significant rise in inquiries about travel to the US, and there are only a limited number of places left for the Christmas tours it has organized.

Gao Xing, CEO of Qunar, an online travel agency, told Beijing News that the change to the visa policy will make life much easier for students and businesspeople who want to travel to the US.

With the increasing number of flights and the greater convenience in procuring a visa, an increasing number of Chinese will visit the US for business, study, or leisure, and Gao's company has already started to focus on developing new tour programs for 2015.

According to a statement released by the White House on Nov 10, 1.8 million Chinese visited the US in 2013, contributing $21.1 billion to the economy and supporting more than 109,000 jobs.

As incomes in China continue to rise, the number of Chinese citizens able to afford international travel and tourism will hit about 7.3 million by 2021, contributing nearly $85 billion a year to the US economy and supporting 440,000 jobs, the statement said, adding that a competitive visa policy is needed to secure the US as the chosen destination for millions of Chinese travelers, who cite the ease of obtaining a visa as the second most important factor in deciding where to travel. Cost remains the most important reason.

US property purchases

In addition to the expected rise in the number of Chinese tourists to the US, the new visa rules will also boost the trend of Chinese people buying real estate in the country, according to property industry insiders.

Liu Jun, a real estate agent in Florida who has dealt mainly with Chinese buyers in the past 10 years, said she has recently received a large number of calls and e-mails from Chinese clients asking about property prices.

"The housing market is apparently getting a boost from the new visa rules, which make it rather attractive to wealthy Chinese who want to relocate or send their children or families to the US," she said.

The overheated housing market in China's big cities and the rising incidence of heavy pollution are encouraging Chinese people to buy homes in the US, she added.

According to statistics from the National Association of Realtors, the largest trade association in the sector, Chinese people became the largest overseas purchasers of homes in the US homes by dollar value last year, replacing Canadians at the top of the list.

From April 2013 to March, Chinese purchasers bought properties in the US worth a combined $22 billion, accounting for about 25 percent of total international sales.

"That number is likely to surge in the coming years," Liu said.

Back in Beijing, Wu Na may eventually contribute to that surge, but before making a decision about taking US citizenship, she is planning a trip to the country in December to research the property market, and is hoping to find a good community with a high-quality high school for her daughter. 

Only then will she make a final decision on whether to take the plunge.

Source: China Daily

Ctrip's Net Earnings Shrink 42% in Q3

(CRI) Chinese online travel booking website Ctrip.com has seen its net profit shrink some 40-percent in the third quarter.

The company says this is because of higher expenses for marketing, along with its investments in wireless services.

Net profits for Ctrip came in at around 35-million US dollars in the third quarter.

Nasdaq-listed Ctrip is predicting revenue growth of 30 percent in the fourth quarter.

But this is weaker than analysts' original expectations of 36 percent.

Ctrip has invested heavily to build and upgrade platforms for hotels and airlines, as well as expanding into the mobile sector.

The company's sales and marketing expenses for the third quarter increased nearly 70-percent to around 100-million US dollars.

Source: CRI

Jiuzhaigou in Winter

Known as a legendary 'Fairyland' and 'Earthly Paradise' with numerous picturesque mountains and lakes, Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area in Sichuan province offers visitors a totally different but no less amazing landscape in winter.

The quiet that fills the whole valley when it's covered in a thick layer of white snow and ice becomes another highlight of the scenic spot.

Source: china.org by Yu Ning

India plans high-speed rail project with China

(China Daily) China is in discussions with India to help it build the world's second-longest high-speed railroad with a price tag of 200 billion yuan ($32.6 billion), its latest efforts to push for a bigger share of the overseas high-speed market.

The Delhi-Chennai high-speed rail corridor will see trains running at 300 km/h, covering up to 1,754 kilometers.

The railway is proposed to be developed jointly with China, home to the world's longest high-speed rail line - between Beijing and Guangzhou - several Indian media organizations reported over the weekend, citing senior officials with India's Ministry of Railways.

Hindustan Times reported that a high-level Indian railways team would visit Beijing on Monday to complete formalities for the project's feasibility study.

The team, comprising officials of the High Speed Rail Corp and the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, will sign an agreement with Chinese counterparts, the report said.

"The study on the Delhi-Chennai line can be expected to begin early next year", the report said, citing unnamed ministry officials.

China Daily could not independently confirm the news on Monday, as information officials with China's National Railway Administration, China Railway Corp and China Railway Construction Corp all declined to comment.

However, encouraged by the speculation of this big-ticket rail project between China and India, the stock value of rail infrastructure construction companies rose sharply on Monday, with China Railway Construction Corp and China Communications Construction both up by more than 9 percent on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

The project is part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "diamond quadrilateral" project that aims to build a network of high-speed trains between cities including Delhi-Mumbai, Mumbai-Chennai, Chennai-Kolkata, Kolkata-Delhi and Mumbai-Kolkata, according to Indian media.

Feng Hao, a researcher at the Institute of Comprehensive Transportation at the National Development and Reform Commission, said if the deal is made, the project opens the door for Chinese companies to provide new railway design, tracks made of durable materials, automated signaling for faster trains and modern stations that India’s British-built rail system desperately needs.

India has added 11,000 kms of track in the 67 years since its independence.

China, whose operating rail mileage exceeded 100,000 km by the end of 2013, including 10,000 km of high-speed railroads, is pushing for a bigger share of the lucrative high-speed train market in India and other parts of the world.

"Chinese investment will also help narrow the trade deficit with India, which hit $31 billion in 2013," said Zhao Zhongxiu, a trade professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

China pledged to offer investment opportunities and technical assistance in India's rail network to help the country improve transportation during President Xi Jinping's visit to India in September.

Diao Chunhe, president of China International Contractors Association, which helps Chinese companies explore new business in overseas markets, said Chinese rail construction companies are attractive to foreign governments and business partners, because unlike their competitors in Canada, Germany, South Korea and Japan, they come with their own funding model.

"They are capable of coordinating finance for projects through Chinese institutions such as the Export-Import Bank of China or China Development Bank," said Diao. "They also do not generally seek sovereign guarantees when working with local partners."

Also on Monday, Mexican Communications and Transportation Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza met Chinese officials to discuss the cancellation this month of a $3.75 billion high-speed rail contract that had been awarded to a CRCC-led consortium, the sole bidder.

Ruiz Esparza discussed Mexican plans to build a $10 billion state-owned and privately operated mobile network with Chinese help, according to a ministry statement.

The Mexican government has already received a bid for the project. The country is aiming to publish the initial terms of the tender to build and run the network in December.

Source: china daily via china.org

China to Open Part of Low-altitude Airspace in 2015

(CRI) From 2015, part of China's low-altitude airspace will open to the public.

The air traffic management authorities said on Sunday that the airspace of more than ten regions across the country below 1,000 meters will be open to general aviation flights, including all flights other than military, scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial.

The ten regions include Shenyang flight control zone, Guangzhou flight control zone, Tangshan, Changchun, Xi'an, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Kunming, Chongqing and Hainan Island.

The central government had announced a relaxation of the ban on usage of low-altitude airspace in 2010, but never gave a certain schedule. The latest statement finalized the go ahead for low-altitude private and commercial flights.

This policy will promote the development of aviation manufacture, air control and operation, aircraft maintenance and personnel training industries. It will also attract global giants to whirl into China.

At present, China has 189 enterprises opening to air traffic who own 1654 aircrafts in total.

With the opening of low-altitude airspace, China is expected to have more than 5,000 civil aircraft and two million hour flight times per year by 2020, said Wang Zhiqing, vice director of China's Civil Aviation Administration.

Source: CRI

Wanda to expand luxury hotel business globally

(Xinhua) China's Dalian Wanda Group is expanding its luxury hotel business, eyeing to establish over 150 premium hotels across the globe by the end of 2018.

The targeted overseas markets include Europe, the United States and Australia, according to the group.

Wanda Hotels & Resorts Co Ltd was founded in 2012 with the goal of becoming China's preeminent global luxury hotel brand. It owns and manages hotels under three names -- Wanda Realm, Wanda Vista, and Wanda Reign.

By the end of 2014, the company will own 71 luxury hotels in China.

Dalian Wanda Group Corp Ltd is the parent company of Wanda Hotels & Resorts.

Source: Xinhua

Top attractions in Tianjin, China

Located in north China, a mere 1.5 hours drive from Beijing, Tianjin is a good pick for a travel destination. Built in 1404, the city has long been a major seaport and gateway to the nation's capital and now makes for an important industrial and financial hub in the country.

 Tianjin is a good example of a mixture of Chinese and Western features. Its historic European-style architecture, ancient Chinese cultural streets, beautiful coastline and picturesque mountain views attract millions of visitors every year.

Tianjin enjoys a reputation for being a cradle of folk arts such as Yangliuqing Spring Festival paintings and crosstalk performances; yet what really make the city a place worth visiting is its profound history as portrayed through the numerous landmark buildings scattered across its former concession areas.

Huangyaguan Great Wall（黄崖关长城）

The Huangyaguan Great Wall runs on the ridge of mountains to the north of Ji County in Tianjin. It was initially built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577) and later renovated and lengthened in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and again during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). This section of the ancient Great Wall had a length of 42 kilometers (about 26 miles), but it suffered extensive damage throughout its long history. In 1987, it was repaired and opened to tourists.

As part of the World Cultural Heritage, the Huangyaguan Great Wall is a good example of the ancient Chinese military engineering system. It displays antiquity, grandness, steepness and gracefulness, and is regarded as Tianjin's "Impregnable Pass." With its length of 3,052 meters, this section is the longest restored section of the Great Wall.

Admission: 65 yuan (US$10.6) / person

Ancient Culture Street（古文化街）

The Ancient Culture Street is a pedestrian business street on the western bank of the Hai River in Nankai District, Tianjin. The architecture there was constructed in Qing Dynasty-style and the street itself was opened to the public in 1986. it looks like a work of art.

In the center of the street, you will find Tianhou Palace. Built in 1326, during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the palace was a haven for people to pray for navigation safety, but now it has been converted into a folk museum. The two original archways with engravings stemming from the old days make for another cultural highlight on the street. There are also nearly a hundred stores lined up along the street, among which the Yangliuqing Painting Gallery and the painted clay sculptures of Clay Figure Zhang are the most renowned ones. Other objects for sale include calligraphy and paint brushes, double-sided embroidery, jade carvings and art ceramics.

Admission: Free

Panshan Mountain（盘山）

Located 110 kilometers (68.4 miles) away from Tianjin's city center and 88 kilometers (54.7 miles) away from Beijing, Panshan Mountain is situated in Jixian County. It is known as one of the most amazing tourist destinations in the city. Covering an area of 106 square kilometers, the scenic area conveys both natural beauty and historical heritage, including numerous temples and pagodas. It is listed as one of China's top fifteen mountains.

Admission: 100 yuan (US$16.3) / person

Five-Avenue Area（五大道）

The Five-Avenue Area refers to a rectangle region of five roads in Heping District in the southern reaches of the city, containing numerous historical buildings constructed in more "exotic" styles. The five avenues are Chongqing Avenue, Changde Avenue, Dali Avenue, Munan Avenue and Machang Avenue.

The area features more than 230 buildings in different European architectural styles, including 89 English-style buildings, 41 Italian-styled ones, six French-style ones, four German-styled ones and three Spanish-styled ones. In addition, there are 46 courtyard houses, 40 apartment buildings, five Western-styled structures and three buildings featuring fusions of West and East.

The area has earned a name for being a "World Building Expo." It truly showcases the city's charm and history and has become a popular destination for visitors. It is a wonderful experience when seating in a horse-drawn carriage to see a truly unique cityscape; a real feast for the eyes!

Admission: Free

Shi Family Courtyard（石家大院）

The Courtyard of the Shi Family is located in the Town of Yangliuqing near Tianjin city. Built in 1875, the courtyard was originally the residence of the Shi Family, one of the eight prominent families in Tianjin in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The Shi family first became rich through the grain and cotton trade, using the – at that time – popular mode of canal transportation. They made enough money to buy land and build their own houses. 

They subsequently opened up shops, factories and private banks to multiply their wealth. During the reign of Emperor Jia Qing, the Shi family owned thousands of hectares of land and 500 houses.

Being a grand traditional Chinese mansion covering over 7,200 square kilometers, the Courtyard of the Shi Family is made up of 12 ancient-style quadrangle courtyards on both sides of a 60-meter-long road and a few additional elegant pavilions, pools and gardens. The architectural style and all the decorations fully represent the folk culture and custom of the late Qing Dynasty, and show the 200-year-long history of the family in Yangliuqing. Nowadays, the courtyard has been converted into a museum and was listed as an important historic site under state protection.

Admission: 27 yuan (US$4.4) / person

Dule Temple（独乐寺）

The Dule Temple is the country's oldest existing wood-structural pavilion architecture. Named after the gurgling spring that lies behind it, it is situated near the WestGate of Jixian County, Tianjin. Most of the temple buildings were ruined during the 841-846 reign of Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), who pursued a policy of cracking down on Buddhism. Some of the buildings were restored in 984 during the Liao Dynasty (907-1125), and more buildings were added during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

One major attraction of the Dule Temple is a 16-meter-tall statue of the goddess of mercy, one of the biggest in the country. It shows the finely crafted image of a lady who looks graceful and composed despite her awesome stature. The statue is said to represent the very best of Liao sculpture. The pavilion that shelters this statue is a stately 23-meter-high building under a roof with three-layered eaves. The pavilion's four walls are graced with lifelike, and life-sized, murals.

Admission: 18 yuan (US$2.93) / person

Tianjin Eye（天津眼）

Built in 2007, the Tianjin Eye is a 120-meter-tall giant Ferris wheel built above the Yongle Bridge, over the Hai River in Tianjin. It is the only such wheel to have been constructed over a bridge in the world. It is electrically powered and has 48 passenger capsules, each one able to carry eight passengers, and takes 30 minutes to complete a rotation, giving a maximum capacity of 768 passengers per hour. When the capsule reaches the top, the passengers can enjoy the cityscape of 40 kilometers around. It was opened to the public in 2008.

Admission: 70 yuan (US$11.4) / person

 Baxian Mountain National Nature Reserve（八仙山）

The Baxian Mountain National Nature Reserve is located at the southern slope of the Yanshan mountain chain, northeast of Jixian County, Tianjin. It is famous for its continuous ridges and peaks, boundless forests, deep gullies, running brooks and several geological relics. Its main peak, known as Cricket Cage, stands at 1046.8 meters above sea level, the highest peak in Tianjin. The reserve is nicknamed the "Green Kingdom" thanks to its wide variety of animals and plants. Its forest coverage reaches over 95 percent. The reserve is an ideal place to go hiking in summer.

Admission: 45 yuan (US$7.33) / person

Haihe River Bund Park（海河外滩）

Located in Tianjin's Tanggu District, the Haihe River Bund is a public leisure park along the river. It is one kilometer long and 60-250 meters wide, connecting the park with the pedestrian mall on Jiefang Road in the north of the city. Nineteen bronze sculptures are standing inside the park and in the middle of the pedestrian strip you find a water fountain that reaches an amazing height of 170 meters, the highest in China. The park combines shopping, outdoor fun and nature as to provide foreigners with a good opportunity to experience local life. The view is even more beautiful when all the lights come on at night.

Admission: Free

Tianjin Binhai Aircraft Carrier Theme Park（天津滨海航母主题公园）

Located in a small harbor in Binhai New District, the Tianjin Binhai Aircraft Carrier Theme Park is a large military theme park constructed around the Kiev Aircraft Carrier, covering an area of 5.57 square kilometers. It provides an opportunity for visitors to gain military knowledge and learn some fun facts while playing games and having fun.

The visitors may have a close look at the command center, intelligence room and the science and technology museum, and enjoy the 4D movies in the aircraft carrier's theater. The only western restaurant on an aircraft carrier in the world is also located here.

In addition, if you didn't have the chance to visit the Tianjin Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo, you may want to do it here. It was rebuilt in the park in 2011 to show visitors the history, features and development of the city.

Admission:160 yuan (US$26.08) / person

Source: china.org by Xu Lin

Air China, Air New Zealand agree strategic alliance

(Xinhua) Air China and Air New Zealand signed a Statement of Intent paving the way for a strategic alliance on services between the two airlines on Friday.

The proposed alliance between the two national flag carriers will see Air China operate a new direct Beijing-Auckland route in addition to Air New Zealand's existing Shanghai-Auckland service.

The tie-up will benefit customers travelling in both directions, including better network connections in both countries and increased frequency of flights.

Following Friday's signing, the airlines hope to reach an agreement early next year, which can then be filed for regulatory approval.

"New Zealand is one of the most important markets for outbound travel from China and Air China is confident about the promising future of this market," said Air China CEO Song Zhiyong.

Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon said a deeper bilateral agreement between the two airlines would help facilitate both business and tourism between the two countries.

"China is New Zealand's second largest inbound visitor market and we expect interest in visiting New Zealand to continue to grow among Chinese travellers," said Luxon.

"Working with a strong, well respected home market carrier like Air China would give us a huge opportunity to convert this potential growth, while jointly offering the additional capacity to support it," he added.

Source: xinhua via china daily

Italian shipbuilder eyes development of Chinese cruise industry

(Xinhua) Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri is exploring the possibility of joint ventures in cruise shipbuilding for the Chinese market, a statement from the group said on Friday.

Fincantieri teamed up with Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise line based in the United States and England, and with China CSSC Holdings Limited, a division of Beijing-based China State Shipbuilding Corporation.

"This would be an unprecedented, three-way collaborative effort to build the first-ever cruise ships to be made in China," the statement said. Memorandums of understanding were signed in China's Hong Kong by representatives of the three parties, Xinhua learned from Fincantieri.

If the agreement goes through, Fincantieri would work with CSSC to develop the production capacity of cruise ships in China. The Italian group, with its experience as one of the world's largest shipyards, would provide specialized services and components to CSSC's shipyards.

For its part, Carnival Corporation would work closely with China CSSC Holdings Limited and Fincantieri and contribute its expertise to creating the vision, definition, and specifications for the China-built cruise ships, the statement explained.

China could see 4.5 million cruise passengers by 2020, according to the Chinese Ministry of Transport (MOT), and is expected to be the second largest global cruise market after the United States in the next several years based on economic growth, increased spending power of Chinese consumers and growing demand for cruise vacations, the statement noted.

"New international scenarios are emerging; with them, new challenges arise in addition to existing ones and we are glad to contribute, together with Carnival, to developing the cruise shipbuilding capacity in China for the Chinese market," Fincantieri's CEO Giuseppe Bono said.

"We are collaborating with two of the world's top shipbuilders to establish a framework for a world-class Chinese shipbuilding venture designed to help accelerate growth and demand for cruising in China in the years to come," Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation, added.

State-owned Fincantieri is one of the world's largest shipbuilding groups, which in over 200 years of maritime history has built more than 7,000 vessels. It is the world leader in cruise ship construction and boasts strong performance in other sectors, from high value-added naval vessels to mega-yachts.

With its headquarters in the northern city of Trieste, the group has more than 20,000 employees and 21 shipyards on four continents. Last year, Fincantieri acquired VARD, a company listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange that builds offshore support vessels for oil and gas extraction and production.

Source: xinhua via china daily

Mount Huangshan, a fairyland in winter

Mount Huangshan, a famous natural resort in eastern China's Anhui Province，looks pretty in all seasons, but it is especially beautiful in winter. A fantastic trip starting from the foot of the mountain leads to endless joy and surprises, sparked by the striking beauty of the stones and pines along zigzagging paths

Source: china.org

Amazing night view of Victoria Harbour

Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. Long famous for its spectacular views, the harbour is a major tourist attraction of Hong Kong. Lying in the middle of the territory's dense urban region, the harbour is the site of annual fireworks displays and its promenades are popular gathering places for tourists and residents.

Source: china.org

Forbidden City to Trial Free Open Days to 5 Professions

(CRI) The Forbidden City is trialing a free open day on the first Wednesday of every month during the off peak season.

The trial will start this December.

But only five groups of people can enjoy free passes, including teachers, college students, soldiers and police officers, medical staff and volunteers.

People of these professions can book their free passes online via http://gugong.228.com.cn.

Applicants can make their booking up to ten days in advance. But bookings for the day will be not accepted.

After booking, applicants should take their ID cards and occupation certificates before entering the Forbidden City.

The arrangement of free open days for the Forbidden City is as following:

Date	Professions
December 3, 2014	Teachers
January 7, 2015	College students
February 4, 2015	Soldiers and police officers
March 4, 2015	Medical staff
April 1, 2015	Volunteers

China continues airport construction drive despite losses

China is stepping up efforts to build small airports across the country despite most small airports currently facing huge losses and relying on heavy government subsidies to stay open, according to a report from the Beijing-based Legal Weekly.

The policy is evident in the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) granting approval in mid-October for feasibility reports or proposals for five new airports in Jilin's Songyuan, Qinghai's Golog, Inner Mongolia's Zalantun, Yunnan's Lancang and Guizhou's Renhuai, with total investment pegged at 5.49 billion yuan (US$897 million), according to published data.

Based on the consideration of bolstering economic development, the government has been extending enormous support to airport infrastructure projects, according to Wang Zhiqiang, director of the Airport Planning Institute of Civil Aviation University of China.

Li Jiaxiang, general director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said in 2013 that China only has 0.19 airports per 10,000 square kilometers, compared with 0.57 in the United States, 0.92 in the European Union and 2.59 in Japan. China therefore aims to build 70 airports, and revamp and expand 101 existing ones by the end of 2015, according to Li.

Over the past five years, only 33 airports were built in the country, Li noted.

Wang attributed the government's strong push for the construction of small and medium-sized airports in local areas as part of its efforts to push the development of the country's economy and promote local tourism.

However, nearly 80% of small airports in the country currently face huge losses, said Zhang Qihuai, vice-president of aviation law research for the China Law Society.

The continuing development of freeways and high-speed railway systems has significantly affected the air transportation industry, given its exorbitant ticket prices and weather-sensitive nature, Zhang pointed out.

Moreover, small and medium-sized airports are usually located in areas with relatively small population sizes, where tourism and the economy are less developed, which can lead to low passenger traffic.

Source: Want China Times

Chinese Tourists Step Up for Abe as Japanese Shoppers Falter

(Bloomberg) When Jingyan Hou made her first trip to Japan in 1997, the office worker from Beijing spent 200,000 yen ($1,700) during a week-long stay on accommodation, meals, transport and souvenirs.

On her second visit this year, she spent that much on just one Louis Vuitton handbag in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district.

The increasing wealth of travelers like Hou, 45, underscores the opportunity for Japan to expand its tourism industry as China’s burgeoning middle class holidays abroad. The yen’s slump to a seven-year low against the dollar is also broadening the country’s appeal globally and bolstering the Abe administration’s effort to double visitors by the 2020 Olympics.

“There’s a lot of room to boost the number of foreign tourists coming to Japan with these growing economies in our neighborhood,” said Daiki Takahashi, an economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute in Tokyo. “They’ll have a big impact if the current trend continues.”

While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s growth strategy faces opposition on many fronts -- from farmers fighting tariff cuts to corporations against outsiders on their boards -- fostering tourism has few detractors. It’s a bright spot in an economy that dropped into recession last quarter as Japanese consumers cut spending after the government increased the sales tax in April to help rein in the world’s biggest debt burden.

Foreign visitors spent 1.5 trillion yen in Japan in the nine months through September, more than all of 2013, according to the Japan Tourism Agency. Money from inbound tourists is on course to surpass spending by Japanese travelers overseas next year for the first time in at least three decades, said Takahashi.

‘Stylish Products’

Hou is doing her part, spending about 1 million yen over a week in October, half of it on shopping.

“I can get more stylish products in Japan than what I can find back in China,” she said, with shopping bags in each hand at the Mitsukoshi department store in Ginza.

Her purchases ranged from clothes and accessories to cosmetics and Pokemon figures.

Chinese tourists are now the world’s top spenders, forking out $129 billion in 2013, according to the World Tourism Organization. Some 2 million mainlanders visited Japan in the first 10 months of 2014, more than double the number from 2006, data from the Japan Tourism Agency shows.

They still have to take the top slot for visitors to Japan, remaining behind South Korea and Taiwan. In all, more than 10 million foreigners traveled to the third-largest economy last year.

Duty Free

While Japan has struggled after the sales-levy bump in April and the yen’s slumped 12 percent, duty free sales at Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd.’s Ginza outlet have almost doubled compared with the same period a year ago, said Kayo Yoshida, a customer service manager at the company.

Mitsukoshi has almost tripled the number of bilingual sales assistants at its Ginza store to 21 this year and is increasing its range of duty free products, said Yoshida.

As Abe seeks to revitalize regional areas, Japan is also attracting foreign tourists to destinations outside the well trodden corridor from Tokyo to Mount Fuji and on to Kyoto.

Sakaiminato city, population of 36,000, is one of the beneficiaries. The west coast port is rebuilding some of the older infrastructure at its harbor as tourists visiting on cruise ships increase to a projected 16,000 this year.

On one day last month, 3,600 Chinese visitors disembarked from a liner, boarded 100 buses and set out sightseeing and shopping, said Tsuyoshi Furuhashi, a spokesman at the local tourism association.

Population Problem

“We need to attract tourists like this as our population declines in Japan,” Furuhashi said.

Japan lowered the minimum income requirements for Chinese nationals seeking tourist visas in 2010 and is considering extending the use of multi-entry visas to the whole country, from just Okinawa now, according to the foreign ministry.

Indian tourists became eligible for multi-entry visas for short sightseeing stays in July and waivers are in place for Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

While Japan is well rated for customer service, transport and cultural attractions, it has a reputation for expensive accommodation.

Manryo Inc., the operator of nine hostels for foreign tourists in Tokyo and Kyoto, has found one solution for visitors trying to keep accommodation costs low.

Love Hotels

Three of its hostels are former love hotels, a common establishment near Japanese railway stations and expressway exits that rent rooms by the hour to couples seeking privacy.

Manryo’s hostel in Tokyo’s Asakusa district offers its cheapest rooms at 2,200 yen per day, versus about 5,500 yen to 10,000 yen for a business hotel.

“We had only 350,000 foreign tourists when Japan hosted the Olympics for the first time in 1964,” said Masataka Ota, chief consultant at Japan Tourism Marketing Co. “It’s amazing to think we may have 20 million next time.”

Source: Bloomberg News by Masaaki Iwamoto and Kyoko Shimodoi

Anti-corruption drive hits US tourism firms

(China Daily) Almost every year for more than a decade, tour group operator Carson Zhang guided a delegation of about two dozen Chinese government officials from Guangdong province's forestry administration for a two-week trip through the national parks of California, Tennessee and Georgia in the United States.

Along with presentations about forest fires and trail preservation, the officials enjoyed lobster and steak dinners, went to see Tennessee bluegrass musicians perform and made a stop at one of California's shopping malls.

Zhang's company, American Carson International, catered almost exclusively to government tour groups from Guangdong province. But in the past couple of years, official tourism from that source has been scaled back, Zhang said.

President Xi Jinping's crackdown on government corruption, which began almost two years ago, has had a profound impact in China. Luxury goods sales have suffered, officials now shun lavish banquets, and gambling revenues at casinos in Macao have been sinking.

It is also hurting a specialized niche of the US tourism industry.

In some parts of China there are new restrictions on the kinds of overseas travel by central and local government officials that will be allowed, according to officials.

Often it is not a new rule that is proving to be a barrier but widespread fear that an overseas trip will attract the wrong kind of attention from the government teams investigating corruption. The probes have led to the detention of thousands of officials and have a particular focus on those who may have moved suspicious amounts of money overseas.

The Xinhua News Agency reported in January that the number of officials who traveled overseas for training approved by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs had fallen by 32 percent in 2013. The body approves trips below ministerial level.

International "training" trips, meant to help Chinese officials learn about business and government practices in other countries, are not only less frequent, they are also shorter and there is a lot less room for leisure time.

One municipal tourism bureau from a medium-sized Chinese city needed its foreign affairs bureau's approval to travel to the US this year, said Haybina Hao, international development director for the National Tour Association, a travel trade group based in Lexington, Kentucky that recommends tour managers.

Their review is still pending, Hao said. But if they are approved, the trip - they are only allowed one this year - must last less than eight days, Hao said. Take away two days for travel and that is not a lot of time, she said.

"Which is exactly the intention of the Chinese government," Hao said. "They don't want (officials) to spend excessive public funds."

At the Guangdong Forestry Administration, a section chief who would only give her surname, Tan, confirmed that as regulations have tightened it is no longer sending officials on the two-week trip. 

She said that there had in the past been such training visits that had involved traveling through California, Tennessee and Georgia and that they had always complied with Chinese regulations. She said she was not certain which year they had stopped.

Groups of officials would often have a relatively light official schedule, leaving plenty of room for sightseeing and trips to shopping malls, restaurants, and casinos. The tour operators would often get commissions from planning such excursions.

"In the past, most of these trips have been one day of official business and 10 days of travel," said Sage Brennan, co-founder of the Los Angeles-based consulting group Luxury China Advisors, which consults clients such as luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman and the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board on how to attract Chinese consumers. "Those kinds of trips have disappeared."

Brennan estimates officially sanctioned Chinese government travel to the US fell by as much as 90 percent in the first half of 2013, and it has not recovered much since.

Some hotels in New York have seen a decline in Chinese government guests. The Sheraton LaGuardia located in Flushing, Queens, which is New York City's biggest and fastest-growing Chinatown, had several official delegations cancel their reservations in October, said Karen Ng, head of sales.

In recent years, the balance has swung more toward private tour groups and even individual tourism as the number of people with the private means to travel soars along with China's economy. It means that while the drop off in official trips may be hurting some tour operators and hotels, the overall impact is more than offset.

Chinese tourists visiting the US in July 2014 jumped 22 percent over July 2013, according to the US Department of Commerce.

Source: By Reuters(China Daily)

UnionPay offers discounts to outbound tourists

(China Daily) UnionPay International announced on Wednesday that it will offer discounts to UnionPay cardholders during visits to certain world-renowned tourist destinations.

From now until the end of February, cardholders will enjoy discounts of up to 15 percent if they use UnionPay cards to pay for hotels, dining, shopping, sightseeing at tourist attractions, cultural visits and entertainment in 20 global tourist cities, including Sydney, Paris and Rome.

Cardholders will also receive discounts of up to 10 percent at 10 resort islands, such as Phuket, Bali and the Maldives.

UnionPay International is a subsidiary focusing on the global business of China UnionPay, the national bank card association. Its card acceptance network has extended to more than 140 countries and regions.

The company is also encouraging Chinese people to visit and spend more- in Sydney, and the Australian state of New South Wales, by launching a cooperative partnership campaign with 

Destination NSW, the state government's tourism agency.

Cardholders from China who buy flights to Sydney and New South Wales will be offered rebates. 

Further incentives will be offered to cardholders who use their cards to shop during their visits.

According to the China National Tourism Administration, 822,700 outbound Chinese tourists chose Australia as their destination in 2013, a 12.8 percent year-on-year increase.

Sandra Chipchase, CEO of Destination NSW, said at the launch of the campaign in Sydney on Wednesday, "Through this campaign and the work underway to encourage UnionPay International customers to use their cards while visiting Sydney and regional New South Wales, we hope to gain an even larger share of the inbound Chinese visitor market arrivals and expenditure, further cementing New South Wales' position as the number one tourism destination in Australia."

As more and more tourists worldwide are traveling independently and discovering cities and countries in depth, UnionPay International has included many culture and entertainment vendors in its discount program to enrich the cardholders' travel experience. It has also launched a tourist map of selected local merchants who offer distinctive features and services.

Source: By Jiang Xueqing and Wang Hui(China Daily)

More than 7,000 10-year US visas issued in first week

(Shanghai Daily) Between 7,000 and 8,000 10-year visas have been issued to Chinese citizens by the US Consulate General in Shanghai since a new visa policy came into effect last Wednesday.

Consulate officials said they expected an increase in applicants due to the policy change and will deploy more staff if needed to keep the visa processing time to the current 5 days.

The scheme is a long-term reciprocal commitment between China and US and the vast majority of tourists and businesspeople in China will be granted 10-year visas, so people with no current travel plans should not rush to apply, said John M. Grondelski, visa unit chief at the consulate.

US officials also stressed that a 10-year visa does not mean its holder can stay in US for 10 years. 

Instead, it means the owner can travel between China and the US multiple times on a single visa during the 10-year period.

The permitted length of stay is determined by the visa category.

Visa validity may vary based on individual circumstances of each case, added officials.

“This is the most important change in our consulate relationship with China since we established diplomatic relations 35 years ago,” said Max Baucus, United States Ambassador to China, in a video news conference yesterday between the US embassy in Beijing and US consulates.

“This new arrangement will be more convenient and save a lot of money for travelers,” Baucus added.

There is no change in the visa application process and the basic application fee remains unchanged at US$160.

But the new agreement means Chinese citizens who travel back and forth between the US and China will benefit from the longer validity and not having to apply and pay the application fee every year.

Source: Shanghai Daily by Yang Meiping

Top attractions in Hunan, China

Hunan is a fantastic part of China that counts many famous scenic spots. Among these, the best-known include: Dongting Lake, the Yueyang Padoga, Fenhuang Ancient Town and the Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area where the gorgeous Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is located.

 The following are the top 10 attractions that Hunan Province has on offer.

Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area（武陵源自然风景区）

The Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area is located in Zhangjiajie City, about 265 kilometers (164.66 miles) away from the provincial capital of Changsha, Hunan Province.

Covering an area of more than 26,000 hectares, Wulingyuan is composed of the world-famous Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, the Tianzishan mountain range and the Suoxi Valley, which all together offer visitors a large number and variety of scenic sights. It is known for its beautiful forests, odd-shaped rock formations, exquisite canyons, limestone caves and jaw-droppingly stuning panoramic views. It is also home to a wide number of endangered plant and animal species.

The area was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

Admission: 248 yuan (US$39.22)/person

 Mount Heng（衡山）

Located some 45 kilometers (27.96 miles) north from Hengyang City, Mount Heng is one of the five famous Chinese mountains in China. Thanks to its favorable climate, it enjoys a reputation of being "the most outstanding amongst all five." The mountain stretches out over 150 kilometers (93.21 miles), with a total of 72 peaks.

Mount Heng features dense forests, flowers, bamboo and serene gullies, all surrounded by the clouds and fog. The place looks like it comes straight out of a fairytale. It has good scenery throughout all four seasons, with a flower market in spring, a summery sea of clouds, a sensational autumn sunrise l and a white winter wonderland.

Admission:100 yuan (US$15.84)/person

Fenghuang Ancient Town（凤凰古城）

Located on the western edge of Hunan Province next to Guizhou, Fenghuang Ancient Town, also known as Phoenix Ancient Town, is one of the most beautiful towns in China.

With a l history of 1,300 years, the town features distinct residential buildings, elegant bridges plus several mysterious towers and pagodas. Upon entering the town, the visitor will immediately get a sense of the area's mystery, elegance and primitive simplicity. When an early morning mist sets in around the bridges over the water and stilted houses, the area simply becomes a mirror of traditional Chinese paintings.

Visiting a Miao village is a must when traveling in Fenghuang. Visitors will find a large array of silver ornaments, homemade tie-dyes, and unique local snacks there.

Admission:186 yuan (US$29.47)/person

Mount Lang（崀山）

Located in Xingning County, Shaoyang City, Hunan Province, Mount Lang is a scenic area close to Guilin of Guangxi in the south and Zhangjiajie of Hunan in the north. It features a galaxy of Danxia landforms. Huge deep red rocks in various bizarre shapes present tourists with a marvelous view.

Including Mount Lang, a total of six Chinese areas were named UNESCO Natural World Heritage in 2010 because of their Danxia landforms. The other five are: Mount Danxia in Guangdong Province, Taining in Fujian Province, Mount Longhu in Jiangxi Province, Chishui in Guizhou Province and Mount Jianglang in Zhejiang Province.

The mountain is covered by dense vegetation, with clear streams flowing through, which have attracted a great number of animals. The whole area is divided into five partscalled Purple Glow Land, Fuyi River, Camel Peak, Ox Nose Castle and Octagonal Castle, respectively.

Admission:130 yuan (US$20.6)/person

Yueyang Tower（岳阳楼）

The Yueyang Tower is an ancient architectural treasure on the shores of Dongting Lake in Yueyang City, Hunan Province. It is known as one of the four famous Chinese towers,. The other three are the Yellow Crane Tower in Hubei Province, the Penglai Pavilion in Shandong Province and the Tengwang Pavilion in Jiangxi Province.

The tower was first built around 220 during China's Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), when Lu Su, commander in chief of the forces of Wu, was sent to the area to fortify it and he trained the fleet there. The main tower bears a flying eave and helmet roof with wooden constructions in a unique style.

Standing on the tower, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of Dongting Lake.

Admission: Free

Dongting Lake（洞庭湖）

Located in northern Hunan Province, Dongting Lake is the second largest fresh water lake in China, which is usually praised as "the picturesque Dongting Lake with 400 kilometer span." The lakeside Yueyang Tower is one of the four famous Chinese towers.

There is an island located right in the lake named Junshan where, or so legend has it, two wives of the ancient Shun Di Emperor, Ehuang and Nuying, died to become goddesses of the Xiangjiang River after searching thousands of miles for their husband.

The vast lake, the famous tower, the mysterious island and the legend, all these have made the lake a popular site throughout the decades.

Admission: Free

Mawangdui（马王堆）

Mawangdui is an archaeological site located in Changsha, Hunan Province. The site consists of two saddle-shaped small hills, set20 meters apart, that are connected to each other underground.

Mawangdui contains the tombs of three people from the western Han Dynasty (206 BC–9 AD), including Marquis Li Cang, his wife, and a male who is believed to be their son. The site was excavated from 1972 to 1974.

Tombs No.1 and No. 2 have been filled, and only tomb No. 3 is open to visitors. Most of the artifacts from Mawangdui are now on display at the Hunan Provincial Museum, which is free to visit.

Admission: 2 yuan (US$0.32)/person

Juzi Island（橘子洲）

Juzi Island, also known as Ju Island or Orange Island, is a shoal located in the center of Xiangjiang River, opposite Hunan's capital city of Changsha. It was named after the oranges scattered across the island during the harvesting season.

Formed in 305, the island got its name in the six century, from the poem of a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). At 140 meters long and 40 meters wide, the island looks like a huge green vessel, covered in a carpet of flourishing trees. It is believed to be the largest inland islet in the world and is now a popular site for summer relaxing in Changsha as temperatures never go soaring high, not even May to July.

Admission: Free

Yuelu Academy（岳麓书院）

The Yuelu Academy is located on the eastern side of Yuelu Mountain in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, found on the western bank of the Xiangjiang River. It was established in 976, the 9th year of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), under the reign of Emperor Kaibao, and was one of China's four most prestigious academies of the past 1,000 years. Renowned Confucian scholars Zhu Xi and Zhang Shi both lectured at the academy.

Since 1926, the academy has become a part of Hunan University. It is now a research center for humanities, social sciences and Chinese studies.

Admission: 50 yuan (US$7.91)/person

Peach Blossom Land（桃花源）

Peach Blossom Land, located at 23 kilometers (14.29 miles) from Changde City, is a fairytale land described by Tao Yuanming (365-427), a famous poet of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (316-420).

With a history of more than 1,600 years, the area now has become a famous tourist site. It features beautiful mountains, peach forests, fields, temples, as well as the mystique of many wonderful legends. It has nearly 100 spots and four great scenic areas, including the Taoxian Ridge, Taoyuan Mountain, Taohua Mountain and Qinren Village. Every year, the area witnesses a peach blossom party which is an important festival in Hunan.

Admission: High season: 75 yuan (US$11.88)/person (March-October)

                     Low season: 65 yuan (US$10.3)/person (November-February)

Source: china.org by Xu Lin