Tourism boom provides enduring momentum to China’s economy

SHANGHAI – Tourism is increasingly emerging as a strategic pillar industry in China, serving as a focal point of the country”s high-quality development.

Since the initiation of reform and opening up in 1978, especially since 2012, the country’s tourism sector has entered a fast lane of development. China has become the biggest domestic tourism market in the world, the largest source of international tourists, and a main destination for international travelers.

Over the past decades, Chinese people have witnessed unprecedented improvements in living standards, with absolute poverty eradicated and the realization of a…