Overseas trips made by domestic residents will almost triple by 2015 compared with 2006, a senior tourism official said in Guizhou Province today.

Residents will make 100 million overseas trips in 2015, compared with the 34.52 million in 2006, said Wang Zhifa, deputy director of the China National Tourism Administration in a forum.

Overseas includes Chinese territory outside the mainland, such as Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

The tourists will spend around US$100 billion on overseas trips at that time, Wang said.

The added value for the country's tourism sector will reach two trillion yuan (US$268.10 billion) in 2015, accounting for 4.8 percent of gross domestic product and contributing one percentage point to the growth rate, Wang said.

A total of 100 million people will work in industries related to tourism, Wang said.

The country is also expected to be the most popular tourism destination in the world by 2015 thanks to the expanded market.

The robust demand will spur the development of civil aviation, railways, highways, shipping and hotels, Wang said.

Domestic airports are expected to handle 450 million passengers in 2015, which will require 1,800 more planes and 6.3 million more flights.

The booming market will also require 200,000 new accommodation facilities, including 700 five-star hotels, Wang said.

The country will also create 10,000 new scenic spots by 2015, half of which will be recreation spots, Wang said.

"Non-state-owned capital is allowed into the sector to turn it into a fair and open tourism market," Wang said.

(Shanghai Daily November 8, 2007)