China's retail sales in the hotel and catering sector hit 176.02 billion yuan (21.9 billion U.S. dollars) in January-February period of 2006, or a year-on-year increase of 13.1 percent.

Figures published on Wednesday by the Ministry of Commerce showed the increase in the first two months is 0.6 percentage points higher than the growth in China's retail sales of consumer goods.

Statistics also showed that retail sales from the hotel and catering sector accounted for 13.9 percent of the country's total retail sales of consumer goods during the two-month period.

Sources with the ministry said that the hotel and catering industry gained 82.57 billion yuan (10.27 billion U.S. dollars) in February this year, up 9.8 percent year on year, and down 11.6 percent from January.

Also in February, retail sales from hotel and catering accounted for 13.8 percent of the country's total retail sales of consumer goods.

Meanwhile, the number of newly approved foreign-funded hotels and catering projects grew 11.86 percent year-on-year to 132, with the contractual use of foreign funds totaling 399.82 million dollars, up 48.27 percent.

The actual use of foreign funds increased 141 percent to 133.01 million dollars, said the ministry in the same period.

Source: Xinhua