China shuts 74 tourism websites for disseminating pornography, gambling

China has shut down 74 tourism websites for violating the law, including disseminating illegal content such as pornography and gambling.

The websites were closed as part of a nationwide campaign launched in September last year.

Violations included failure to register in accordance with law, counterfeiting legal tourism websites, and disseminating illegal content involving gambling and pornography, a statement issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China said.

The administration called on consumers to choose tourism products through legal websites and encouraged the public to report violations, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Tourist-generated income in China has climbed to $8.67 billion last year, up 13.3 per cent from a year earlier, according to data from China National Tourism Administration.