Beijing received a record high 1.665 million overseas tourists in the first half of this year, up 26.2 percent over the corresponding period last year, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics.

The number of tourists from foreign countries rose by 27.4 percent year on year to reach 1.409 million in the first six months, while those from China's Hong Kong,Taiwan and Macao regions went up by 20.3 percent to reach 256,000 in the same period.

Beijing has recorded a monthly double-digit growth in the number of visiting overseas tourists for six consecutive months, receiving approximately 280,000 visitors monthly.

Tourists from Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States accounted for 40 percent of the total for the six-month period, up 19 percent year on year, and those from Britain, France and Germany went up by 30 percent on a yearly basis.

Local tourism authorities forecast Beijing will receive 3.5 million overseas tourists in 2005, bringing in a total tourism revenue of 3.5 billion US dollars.

The upcoming Summer Olympic Games, tourism promotions, and the convening of increasing international conferences are said to be the factors attracting increasing numbers of overseas tourists to Beijing, according to the Beijing Tourism Administration.

Source: Xinhua