The overall number of visitors to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> dropped to 130 million in 2008, from 132 million in 2007, according to the tourism administration's numbers. The decrease was 2.6 percent.

The decline in foreign visitors continues because of the worldwide financial situation, Li said.

"Last year was really terrible," Li said. "For now, the situation is getting worse and worse, and people in the industry don't expect any improvement until the second quarter this year."

<font face="宋体" size="3">The Chinese government built the world's largest airport terminal in eager anticipation of Olympics visitors. Hotels underwent costly renovations and even restaurant menus were standardized across <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Beijing</st1:place></st1:city>.</font>

<font face="宋体" size="3">But only 389,000 foreign tourists visited <st1:city w:st="on">Beijing</st1:city> in August, the month of the games, including travelers from Hong Kong, Macau and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Taiwan</st1:country-region>, according to the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Beijing</st1:place></st1:city> tourism bureau. That was far fewer than the 500,000 guests originally expected.</font>

<font face="宋体" size="3">Authorities feared protests around the Olympics would mar the flawless image of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region></st1:place> that the government wanted to promote and made visa procedures more strict in an effort to weed out potential troublemakers such as foreign activists. That also kept out many would-be visitors.</font>

<font face="宋体" size="3">"The high cost of hotel and air tickets may also have had an effect, but taking into consideration the spending power of foreigners compared to Chinese, they wouldn't just drop their plans because of higher prices," said Li Lei, chief editor of Chinese travel industry Web site Tourismvane.com.</font>

Shao Qiwei, director of the China National Tourism Administration, said at a recent national tourism work conference that to realize these goals the Chinese tourism industry needs to be active in coping with the financial crisis, to enlarge the demand for domestic travel, and ensure the smooth and steady growth of the tourism industry. Shao said that every opportunity should be taken to enhance the tourism market, including putting the national leisure and travel plan into trial operation in some areas and exploring middle and short travel routes near the big cities. In addition, Shao said that ecological travel should be developed strenuously and green consumption should be guided based on the theme of China Ecological Travel Year, 2009.