China tourism revenues up 10.7% in first half

BEIJING - China's tourism industry raked in 1.4 trillion yuan ($228 billion) in revenues in the first six months of the year, up 10.7 percent year on year, according to official statistics.

The domestic travel and outbound travel markets both expanded during the period, although the inbound travel market shrank slightly due to weak global economic recovery, the National Tourism Administration said.

The administration predicted that tourism revenues will see a steady increase this year.

To attract more overseas tourists, the administration said it will host a number of international exchange activities in the second half of the year, including events planned for the "Year of Chinese Tourism in Russia."