China Daily, 1-12-2006
Beijing's tourist spots are not using the Internet effectively to promote their appeal to foreign visitors, according to experts speaking at a forum Thursday in Beijing.
Official statistics show Beijing has 121 scenic spots, 38 of which are top-ranking sites. But only 34 of the 38 have built official websites.
"Every tourism attraction in Beijing should build a website and make it easily accessible," said Liu Feng, assistant research fellow of the Development Research Centre of the State Council.
Adding to the problem, the websites in existence are not pulling in the visitors, according to Liu.
"When you search Google for websites introducing Beijing's tourism spots, the top result is a small American travel service. None of the scenic spot websites are in the first 10 pages," he said.
With the 2008 Olympic Games fast approaching, the need for promotion is more pressing than ever. According to the administration's estimates, 4.4 million overseas tourists will visit Beijing in 2008, spending US$4.5 billion.
