China's domestic tourism revenue up 114% year-on-year in first three quarters

BEIJING - China's tourism market experienced a remarkable surge during the first three quarters of this year, a senior cultural and tourism official said on Thursday.

Domestic tourism recorded 3.67 billion visits and a staggering revenue of 3.7 trillion yuan ($520.47 billion) during the period, representing year-on-year increases of 75 percent and 114 percent respectively, figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed.

Du Jiang, vice-minister of culture and tourism, said the heightened desire for travel among residents this year had significantly propelled domestic tourism.

"This surge not only stimulated increased consumer spending in the sector but also played a role in driving economic recovery," Du told a press conference.