If you work in sports tourism, then the recent headlines don't make great reading: China apoplectic over Tibet and the unfortunate earthquake that claimed thousands of lives in Sichuan province and South Africa with xenophobic attacks, as well as President Thabo Mbeki's refusal to condemn Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe.
Beijing is just a few days away (August 8 ) which makes the Chinese situation all the more worrying. But for all the background noise, there's a high likelihood that the Beijing Games will go on well and that tourism will reap the rewards.
Recent tourism figures underline the growing fascination with China and its capital. In the first nine months of last year, 3.2 million overseas visitors for Beijing travel, up 12.6 per cent from a year earlier. Within this figure were 440,000 Americans, a rise of 19.4 per cent year-on-year.
At least 500,000 people are expected to Beijing tours during the games, to be confronted by a swathe of new hotels, shopping malls and commercial buildings. A further sign of how seriously Beijing is taking its role as host is that it has already invested $16 billion in anti-pollution measures.
But perhaps above all, the airport terminal is the most apt symbol of the energy and investment China has lavished on the Olympics. Beijing trip provides extensive Beijing travel information on Accommodation Beijing hotels, attractions, dining, shopping and Beijing bus tour packages as well as Beijing tours.
