Checking in: Airports in China 2006
5
inbound travel, China’s own tourism
it easier to travel for private purposes
At current rates of growth such
potential is also impressive. In 2004 China
than ever before. China’s manufacturing
overcapacity is likely to be a short lived or
overtook Italy to become the world’s
sector is spurring similar growth of air
localised phenomenon, but investors
fourth-largest international tourist
cargo volumes and capacity. Freight
should be aware that timing the entry into
destination, according to the World
tonnes surged 19 percent in 2005, to over
the market is crucial to success. The
12
13
Tourism Association . International travel
6.3 million tonnes . CAAC believes cargo
CAAC wants to build a further 44 new
is a key revenue driver for major airports.
throughput could exceed 10 million
airports over the next five years 15, so the
The government’s policies place the
tonnes by 2010, an even faster pace than
location and development of these new
travel and tourism sector as one of the
passenger traffic 14.
projects will have an important impact on
key pillars of the growing service industry
the commercial prospects for existing
with specific measures to encourage
Many of China’s largest airports, including
foreign investment.
Beijing, Shanghai Pudong and Hongqiao,
facilities.
Guangzhou and Tianjin, have recently Until recently, the majority of Chinese
augmented or rebuilt their terminal
people travelled for business. However
buildings. There is a similar story among
this has changed dramatically in recent
smaller, less used airports, many of
years. China’s urban population is finding
which have spare capacity. In some cases utilisation rates are below 50 percent.
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World Tourism Organisation: International Tourist Arrivals by Country of Destination; www.world-tourism.org Xinhua Financial Network News, 1 March 2006 “China in mad rush to build more airports as passenger numbers keep soaring,” Aviation Buyer China, November 2005 “China to boost spending on airports as air traffic grows,” Dow Jones Newswires, 28 February, 2006
© 2006 KPMG, the Hong Kong member firm of KPMG International, a Swiss cooperative. All rights reserved.