China has become a global tourist attraction after the Beijing Olympics which concluded on Aug. 24, according to a survey released by the Nielson Company on Thursday.

The survey said the Olympics not only built up China's image but also served as an advertisement for China's tourism.

The online survey was conducted on consumers in 16 countries and regions before the Games' opening ceremony and after the closing.

About 80 percent of the respondents had not been to China before the events and 50 percent of them expressed hopes of visiting China after the Games.

According to the survey, 70 percent of the respondents felt Beijing was more modern and scientific than what they had thought.

The most interested respondents were from Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Mexico, Taiwan, South Africa and the Republic of Korea.

Pan Wen, in charge of Chinese tourism research of the Nielson Company, said the World Tourism organization predicted that China would become the largest tourist attraction in the world with 137 million foreign tourists every year.

"This figure would be realized earlier with the aid of the Beijing Olympics," Pan said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2008)