BBC Chinese recently reported that, according to the 2014 China Tourism Global Public Opinion Research, fewer and fewer foreign tourists are visiting China. The Research report was released at the Annual China Tourism Industry Development Conference held on January 13. China Tourism News and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences jointly conducted the research. The study surveyed 23,000 people in 23 countries that covered 90 percent of the Chinese tourist’ market. The research identified a declining national image as the number one reason to have impacted tourist’s decision making. Based on the survey, the Chinese national image was significantly damaged by heavy pollution, the wide gap between rich and poor, corruption, and poor public safety. The research showed a sharp decline in the number of tourists from nearby countries such as Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia – they all saw a decline of seven percent year-over-year.
Source: BBC Chinese, January 13, 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2015/01/150113_china_inbound_tourists