China National Tourism Administration

July 02, 2015 

PRESS RELEASE

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, at the invitation of King Tupou VI of the Kingdom of Tonga, Li Jinzao, Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration will attend the coronation ceremony of King Tupou VI as the special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping from July 3 to 4.

In recent years, with the growth of Chinese economy, the development of China’s tourism industry has made great achievements. In 2014, the domestic travels amounted to 3.6 billion and the outbound tourist visits surpassed the 100 million threshold for the first time, while the outbound tourism consumption totaled US$165 billion, up by 28% over the previous year. The designation of the Chairman of CNTA to visit the Kingdom of Tonga as the special envoy of President Xi Jinping demonstrates the Chinese government’s great attention to tourism industry and full affirmation of its influence.

It is also understood that in order to promote the tourism cooperation with the South Pacific countries including Tonga, the CNTA will organize about 100 Chinese tour operators to visit Tonga in the near future and about 1000 Chinese tourists to travel to Tonga later this year.