China sees sharp fall in tourism in 2013

An unexpected sharp drop was seen in inbound tourism in China in 2013.

From January to November, the city recorded 4.2 million visitors, down 10.3 percent year-on-year, the Beijing Tourism Development Commission reported.

According to the China Daily, the commission blamed the weak global economy, a strong yuan and the city's ongoing pollution as problems for the sharp decline in tourism.

Statistics from the China National Tourism Administration show inbound tourism reached 118.2 million visits from January to November, a 2.47 percent year-on-year decrease, the report said.

China's inbound tourism market has been stagnant in recent years, as tourists to the nation, many of whom are from Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States, preferred travelling to other Asian destinations, including Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, the report added.