People working in the tourism industry increased by 500,000 annually during the 1996-2000 period.

Tourism is a labor-intensive industry comprising several related trades including transportation, accommodation, food and recreation. It is becoming the principal channel to absorb laid-off workers, said He Guangwei, director of the CNTA.

According to a development plan set forth by the State Development Planning Commission and the CNTA, efforts will be made to keep the tourism industry growing at a faster pace than that the national economy in the coming 10 years.

China's National Bureau of Statistics reported recently, the nation's gross domestic product reached 7.1682 trillion yuan (US$866 billion) in the first nine months of this year, a rise of 7.9 percent year-on-year.

(eastday.com October 23, 2002)