Foreign tourists visit Wuzhen town, Zhejiang province. (File photo)
(ECNS) – International tourists in China have been less interested in shopping, and more focused on sightseeing and culture, as the inbound tourism sector continued to fall in the first quarter of this year, the latest statistics from the China National Tourism Administration show.
The number of international tourists to China slightly exceeded 5.6 million in the first quarter of 2015, down 3.9 percent from the same period last year. Tourism revenue from the international segment also fell 0.4 percent in the first quarter year-on-year.
The China Tourism Academy said most international tourists to China show a greater interest in the country's natural landscapes, historic spots and culture.
More than 70 percent of inbound tourists spend $500-3,000, of which transport costs account for the biggest share of spending, while shopping is relatively low, the academy said.
In contrast, the spending of international tourists in Japan exceeded that of Japanese tourists abroad for the first time in 2014.
