China is one of the most visited countries in the world. But it's also one of the most polluted.
What's described as eye-searing levels of smog is soaring to new highs, particularly around the populous Beijing area. It has taken a heavy toll on tourism, with the number of foreign visitors falling significantly.
The situation has prompted the government to announce a far-reaching plan — costing $7.6 billion — to combat air pollution over the next few years. The city plans to carry out more than 100 environmental protection projects before 2017 to reduce smog and increase other reforms as it focuses on reducing vehicle emissions, dust and industrial and coal-fired pollution.
The Beijing government says it has already reduced pollution levels significantly — although we've visited the city three times in recent years and haven't noticed any significant difference — and says it already has spent some $7 billion on those efforts.
It's always been the same story — the city is overrun with autos without pollution controls and coal is seemingly burned endlessly by industry and residences.
Global Travel Industry News reports that numbers of foreign visitors declined following January's "Airpocalypse," when smog readers set records. From January to June, the total number of foreign visitors entering China declined by 5 percent to just under 13 million compared to the same period a year ago. In Beijing, the drop was even more severe — the number of foreign visitors declined 15 percent to 1.9 million the first six months of the year, reported the travel publication.
Observers believe the drop in tourists will end once the smog clears, since China has many attractions, particularly in the Beijing area with the Great Wall and Imperial Palace.
Beijing is not the only major city affected by pollution and the resulting tourism drop. China officials acknowledge the situation is similar in Shanghai and Xiamen.
Much of the pollution stems from factories and cars, which is the outcome of China's successful economic development, and economists say that factor is "difficult to control because it is difficult or politically infeasible to identify responsible parties."
Thus the air pollution trends in China will be difficult to reverse and their impact will be significantly negative on the tourism industry, according to Tim Tyrrell, former director of the Center of Sustainable Tourism at Arizona State University, who was quoted in a recent article in Global Travel Industry News.
China, the world's No. 3 destination for international travel behind France and the United States, is a great place to visit — but not when you have difficulty seeing or breathing.
China skyscraper nearing completion
The Shanghai Towers reaches 2,073 feet with 125 stories and is nearing completion, according to new reports. It is China's tallest building and the second tallest in the world.
A spiraling glass facade is designed to withstand winds of up to 114 miles per hour and several "green design" features will keep the building temperate.
The building, due for completion in 2015, also houses the world's fastest single-deck and double-deck elevators.
Bob Retzlaff is the Post-Bulletin’s travel editor.
ประเทศจีนเป็นหนึ่งในประเทศที่เข้าชมมากที่สุดในโลก แต่ยังเป็นหนึ่งเสียส่วนใหญ่สิ่งที่อธิบายว่า หมอกควันระดับสุขภาพตาทะยานไปสูงใหม่ โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่งบริเวณมีประชากรปักกิ่ง จะได้ดำเนินการโทรหนักในท่องเที่ยว มีจำนวนนักท่องเที่ยวลดลงอย่างมากสถานการณ์ที่ได้รับการที่รัฐบาลประกาศแผนหลัก — ทุน 7.6 พันล้าน เหรียญซึ่งต่อสู้กับมลพิษทางอากาศถัดไปไม่กี่ปีที่ผ่านมา เมืองวางแผนการดำเนินโครงการอนุรักษ์สิ่งแวดล้อมมากกว่า 100 ก่อน 2017 ลดหมอกควัน และเพิ่มขึ้นปฏิรูปอื่น ๆ เป็นการลดการปล่อยรถ ฝุ่น และมลพิษทางอุตสาหกรรม และถ่านรัฐบาลปักกิ่งบอกว่า มันมีลดมลพิษได้มากแล้ว — แม้ว่าเราได้เยี่ยมชมเมืองสามเท่าในปีที่ผ่านมา และไม่ได้สังเกตเห็นความแตกต่างอย่างมีนัยสำคัญ — และกล่าวว่า มันได้ใช้เงินบาง $7 พันล้านในความพยายามเหล่านี้มีเรื่องราวเดียวกัน — มีการบุกรุกเมือง ด้วยรถยนต์โดยไม่มีการควบคุมมลพิษ และถ่านหินดูเหมือนเขียนไม่รู้จบ โดยอุตสาหกรรมและเรสซิเดนซ์Global Travel Industry News reports that numbers of foreign visitors declined following January's "Airpocalypse," when smog readers set records. From January to June, the total number of foreign visitors entering China declined by 5 percent to just under 13 million compared to the same period a year ago. In Beijing, the drop was even more severe — the number of foreign visitors declined 15 percent to 1.9 million the first six months of the year, reported the travel publication.Observers believe the drop in tourists will end once the smog clears, since China has many attractions, particularly in the Beijing area with the Great Wall and Imperial Palace.Beijing is not the only major city affected by pollution and the resulting tourism drop. China officials acknowledge the situation is similar in Shanghai and Xiamen.Much of the pollution stems from factories and cars, which is the outcome of China's successful economic development, and economists say that factor is "difficult to control because it is difficult or politically infeasible to identify responsible parties."Thus the air pollution trends in China will be difficult to reverse and their impact will be significantly negative on the tourism industry, according to Tim Tyrrell, former director of the Center of Sustainable Tourism at Arizona State University, who was quoted in a recent article in Global Travel Industry News.China, the world's No. 3 destination for international travel behind France and the United States, is a great place to visit — but not when you have difficulty seeing or breathing.
China skyscraper nearing completion
The Shanghai Towers reaches 2,073 feet with 125 stories and is nearing completion, according to new reports. It is China's tallest building and the second tallest in the world.
A spiraling glass facade is designed to withstand winds of up to 114 miles per hour and several "green design" features will keep the building temperate.
The building, due for completion in 2015, also houses the world's fastest single-deck and double-deck elevators.
Bob Retzlaff is the Post-Bulletin’s travel editor.
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