Beijing set for post Olympic traveller boom: 12-08-2008
The number of visitors to Beijing is expected soar as soon as the Olympic Games have finished, it has been revealed.
While the number of people travelling to the city over the competition period has been surprisingly low - official estimates suggest one-fifth of hotel rooms in Beijing are currently empty - Wang Zhifa, deputy head of China's National Tourism Administration, believes this will change markedly once the Games are over.
"We have done a survey on cities which have hosted previous Olympics. Generally speaking regular visitors will avoid the peak period during the Olympic Games. Only athletes, coaches and fans will visit then," he said at a news conference recently, Reuters reports.
"According to previous experiences, the peak period for tourism in host cities is once the Olympics have ended."
Meanwhile, one of China's most popular attractions, the Terracotta Warriors Museum, has released a special limited edition Golden Terracotta Warrior in recognition of the 2008 Olympic Games coming to Beijing.
The museum is in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, near to the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.