China had 12,930 star-ranked tourist hotels nation wide by the end of 2006, 5,572 more than in 2001, according to statistics released by the National Tourism Administration (NTA).

According to the newly issued evaluation standard of hotels, there are 288 five-star hotels, 1,307 four-star hotels, 4,747 three-star hotels, and more than 6,500 one-and two-star hotels in China.

China had 7,358 star-ranked hotels by the end of 2001, which had an average occupancy rate of 58.45 percent and total revenue of 76.3 billion yuan (9.54 billion U.S. dollars). Statistics show that China has 2,258 A-class tourist spots and destinations at the end of 2006, 128 of them are ranked "A class".

Officials with the NTA said that the star-ranked tourist hotels and A-class tourist destinations have helped elevate the level of China''s tourist service, as well as promote the protection, development, management and construction of tourist spots and destinations.

China''s tourist industry has developed rapidly since the implementation of reform and opening up policy in 1978.

China received 103.6 million overseas visits in the first ten months of 2006, up 3.4 percent from the same period in 2005, and 60 times more than in 1978, said Wang Jun, vice chairman with the China Tourism Association.

China is now ranked fourth in the world in terms of overseas tourist arrivals. The World Tourism Organization has predicted that China will become the No. 1 tourist destination and the fourth largest source of tourists by 2020.  -China Daily