Tourism industry to grow 7.5% this year

By the end of 2015, the Chinese travel and tourism sector will contribute 6.24 trillion yuan, or 9.5 percent of China's GDP, and create 68.3 million jobs, once all direct, indirect and induced impacts are taken into account, the organization's latest research claims.

"Travel and tourism is one of China's largest economic sectors. It drives economic growth, well-being and prosperity. It creates jobs at different skills levels and in areas where other employment opportunities are scarce," Scowsill said, adding the WTTC forecasts travel and tourism has the potential to contribute 94 million jobs and 10.3 percent of GDP to the Chinese economy by 2025.

Scowsill said, however, that there are still areas of the Chinese industry needing to be improved, such as its visa system, more agreements on direct flights, and its marketing, to bring people into the country. The ongoing problem of air quality should also remain a priority, he said, to encourage more visitors.

Chinese outbound tourism rose 19.5 percent last year to 109 million, however, the number of inbound tourists in China has declined in recent years.

By the end of this year the WTTC predicts the industry's contribution to global GDP will have grown by 3.7 percent and the sector will contribute 284 million jobs, or 1 in 11 of all jobs on the planet, once all the indirect and induced benefits are taken into account.

It forecasts that the United States and China will retain their rankings as the world's two biggest travel and tourism economies, but Germany has overtaken Japan to rank as the third-largest.

Ning Hui contributed to this story.