China to publish its first guidebooks for the do-it-yourself traveler

China plans to publish its own set of guidebooks on do-it-yourself travel overseas, Xinhua learned on Monday.

The guidebooks, which will be jointly published by China Travel & Tourism Press and Beijing Times Overseas Affairs Service Co. Ltd., will introduce scenic spots, hotels, restaurants, recreational sites and shopping malls in more than 70 countries in five continents to travelers who like to do it their own way.

The 16-volume series will take five years to complete, according to an agreement signed Monday by the publishing house and the Beijing-based company.

The world's best-selling travel guides, such as Fodor, Lonely Planet and Let's Go, are all published in developed countries.

As a booming tourist market, China urgently needs its own travel guidebooks, said an industry source.

In 2005, more than 30 million Chinese made trips overseas. The World Travel Organization predicted that China will become the world's fourth largest tourism market in 2020.

Source: Xinhua