China’s expenditure on travel abroad reached US$ 102 billion in 2012, making it the first tourism source market in the world in terms of spending. Other emerging markets as well as most traditional tourism source markets also showed positive results in 2012.
Over the past decade China has been, and still is, by far the fastest-growing tourism source market in the world. Thanks to rapid urbanization, rising disposable incomes and relaxation of restrictions on foreign travel, the volume of international trips by Chinese travellers has grown from 10 million in 2000 to 83 million in 2012. Expenditure by Chinese tourists abroad has also increased almost eightfold since 2000. Boosted by an appreciating Chinese currency, Chinese travellers spent a record US$ 102 billion in international tourism in 2012, a 40% jump from 2011 when it amounted to US$ 73 billion.
With this sustained growth, China has become the largest spender in international tourism globally in 2012. In 2005 China ranked seventh in international tourism expenditure, and has since successively overtaken Italy, Japan, France and the United Kingdom. With the 2012 surge, China leaped to first place, surpassing both top spender Germany and second largest spender United States (both close to US$ 84 billion in 2012).
Some of the other emerging markets have also increased their share of world tourism spending over the past decade. Among the world’s top ten source markets by expenditure, the Russian Federation saw an increase of 32% in 2012, to US$ 43 billion, bringing it from the 7th to 5th place in the ranking of international tourism spending. Worth mentioning beyond the top ten is Brazil, with an expenditure of US$ 22 billion in 2012, moving to 12th place up from 29th place in 2005.
“Emerging economies continue to lead growth in tourism demand” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “The impressive growth of tourism expenditure from China and Russia reflects the entry into the tourism market of a growing middle class from these countries, which will surely continue to change the map of world tourism,” he added.
Although the highest growth rates in expenditure abroad came from emerging economies, key traditional source markets, usually growing at a slower pace, also posted positive results. Spending on travel abroad from Germany and the USA grew by 6% each. Spending from the UK (US$ 52 billion) grew by 4% and the country retained its 4thplace in the list of major source markets. Expenditure by Canada grew by 7%, while both Australia and Japan grew by 3%. On the other hand, France (-6%) and Italy (-1%) were the only markets in the top ten to record a decline in international tourism spending.
Full data on international tourism expenditure and receipts will be published in the forthcoming issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, to be released end of April.
原文链接：http://media.unwto.org/en/press-release/2013-04-04/china-new-number-one-tourism-source-market-world
UNWTO：2012中国成为世界第一国际旅游消费国
04/04/2013 | 李洋 | 中新社
中新社联合国4月4日电 (记者 李洋)联合国世界旅游组织4日发表声明说，中国2012年已超越美国等国，成为世界第一大国际旅游消费国。
世界旅游组织说，中国人2012年在海外旅游消费额达1020亿美元，创下历史纪录，同时比2011年的730亿美元海外旅游消费额增长了40%。
声明指出，过去10年间，中国国际旅游市场的发展一直是全球最快的，至今依然如此，这要归功于中国城镇化的发展，可支配收入的增长以及对国际旅游限制的放松。
2000年至2012年间，中国海外旅游的游客人数从1000万增加到了8300万，其旅游消费额增长了近八倍。世界旅游组织指出，以境外旅游消费额来衡量，中国在2005年时排名世界第七，此后陆续超过了意大利、日本、法国和英国，2012年中国更超过此前长期占据前两位的德国和美国，成为世界第一。
世界旅游组织秘书长瑞法依表示，新兴经济体仍然带动着世界旅游需求的增长，中国和俄罗斯令人瞩目的旅游消费增长显示了两国中产阶级力量的蓬勃壮大，也必然会对全球旅游格局产生新的影响。
除中国外，其他几个新兴经济国家的旅游经济也在振兴中。俄罗斯的境外旅游消费2012年达到430亿美元，比上一年增加32%，跃居世界第五。巴西未能挤进前十名，但也以220亿美元排在第12位，和2005年的第29位相比显著提高。
发达国家方面，美国和德国的境外旅游消费额均增长6%，加拿大增长7%，英国增长4%，日本增长3%。但也有部分发达国家的境外旅游消费额下降，如法国下降6%，意大利下降1%。
