CHINA TOURISM

China tourism has expanded greatly over the past few decades, partly because of the new "middle class" of chinese citizens which are beginning to emerge in the country, and also largely because many of the restrictions in movement have been eased. China is now a very hot tourist market, with an estimated $185 billion raised from tourism in 2009 alone. Watch this space, it's going to get even better.

WHY CHINA?

China is one of the last great ancient cultures of the world. Fascinating to many, (well, we all think we know about the food don't we?), there is just so much to see, do and learn about the fascinating history of this great country. It's vastness means that there is great diversity in the places to see and things to do, you can:

1. visit some of the ancient cities found on the North China Plain
2. travel along the famous silk road and find out about the ancient silk traders it was named after
3. see the Himalayan mountains in Tibet

Yes sir, China has plenty to offer the 21st century tourist.

TRAVELING AROUND CHINA

The infrastructure in parts of China leaves a lot to be desired, which has meant that driving around Chinese country roads has been quite an adventure in itself which needed lots of planning. Let's face it, there's not much chance of finding spare parts in some of these remotest areas, so you'd better make sure that you have everything with you that you might need. Having said that, there have been great improvements to many of the roads these days with mechanical support available in more and more areas.

WHAT TO TAKE TO CHINA

A trip to China still takes a bit of planning and you need to make sure that you take all of your essentials with you. If you want to visit lots of places of interest and monuments on your trip - and let's face it, why would you bother going if you didn't - you'll need some good, strong walking shoes. Lots of these attractions involve lots of walking - The Great Wall for example, although nobody is suggesting that you can possibly walk the full way, there's plenty of rough bits and steps involved. Make no doubt about it though, however far you have to walk, it'll be well worth it! Umbrellas and raincoats are also pretty essential, yes, the rain in China falls mainly anywhere it pleases, along with plenty of insect repellent, especially when its hot in the summer.

HOTELS IN CHINA

There are lots of great hotels to choose from in China, and the list is growing all the time.

China really is a great place to visit, and, typically Chinese, they're quickly rising to the challenge to make sure that tourism in China is an enjoyable experience for all concerned.