Tourist inflow closely affected by air quality

Chinese researchers said on Sunday they have measured the effects of air quality on inbound tourists, calling for more attention to air pollution treatment.

The researchers looked at the proportion of days each year with air quality that meets the official standard. For each one-percent drop in good air days, the number of inbound tourists fell by about 443,550 people, according to the 2014 China Tourism Development Report released by the Wuhan Chapter of the China Tourism Academy.

Researcher Hu Jing, chief of the Wuhan Chapter, said that air quality had become a pivotal factor in people's travel decisions.

According to the report, more than 80 percent of respondents said they would avoid tourism destinations prone to smog. Meanwhile, more than 70 percent of respondents said they would schedule their travel based on air quality index.

The report also indicated that air quality influences visitors' traveling experiences, with more than ninety percent saying smog ruins the sights and their mood.

China began to include PM2.5, a key indicator of air pollution, and ozone in its new air quality standard in 2013.

Statistics from the Ministry of Environmental Protection showed that the proportion of days with up-to-standard air quality in 74 cities during the first half of the year was 60.3 percent, slightly up compared to 58.7 percent during the same period last year.