INTRO: segment number five -- "Domestic Tourism"

CHINA'S RECENT ECONOMIC BOOM HAS BEEN THE RESULT OF  WIDESPREAD INDUSTRIALIZATION IN THE COUNTRY'S SOUTHERN AND EASTERN REGIONS.  BUT CHANGE IS ALSO OCCURRING ELSEWHERE.  IN PART FIVE OF OUR SERIES POSTCARDS FROM CHINA...ERIC OLANDER REPORTS FROM GUANGXI PROVINCE ON A RAPIDLY CHANGING INDUSTRY. (:13)

STORY:

TYPICALLY WHEN WE THINK OF TOURISTS IN CHINA...VISITORS FROM JAPAN...TAIWAN...AMERICA...AND EUROPE COME TO MIND.  BUT DUE TO PERSISTENT RECESSIONS IN BOTH JAPAN AND THE WEST COMBINED WITH GREATER WEALTH IN CERTAIN AREAS OF CHINA...THE NATURE OF TOURISM IN THIS COUNTRY IS RAPIDLY CHANGING.  IN GUILIN FOR EXAMPLE...AT ONE OF THE MORE POPULAR SPOTS....AN INFORMAL AND EXTREMELY UNSCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF TOUR BUS OPERATORS...HOTEL RECEPTIONISTS AND CAB DRIVERS REVEALED THAT ABOUT HALF OF THE TOURISTS ARE MAINLAND CHINESE.  AT MOST OF THE SITES IN GUILIN ONLY A HANDFUL OF FOREIGNERS COULD BE SEEN AMONG THE BUS LOADS OF CHINESE.  MOST OF THE CHINESE TOURISTS WERE FROM GUANGDONG PROVINCE...BUT THERE WERE ALSO A LOT OF OFF-DUTY P-L-A SOLDIERS AND PEOPLE FROM HENAN AND FUJIAN PROVINCES AND EVEN A GROUP FROM AS FAR AWAY AS BEIJING.

ALL THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY THAT I SPOKE WITH SAID EVEN THOUGH MAINLAND CHINESE TRAVELERS SPEND A LOT LESS THAN INTERNATIONAL VISITORS...THEIR INCREASINGLY LARGE NUMBERS MORE THAN COMPENSATE FOR THE DIFFERENCE.  BUT AS MORE CHINESE HIT THE ROAD TO SEE THEIR OWN COUNTRY...CERTAIN PROBLEMS ARISE.  MOST NOTABLY...INFRASTRUCTURE.  MANY OF THE PLANES...TRAINS...BUSES AND BOATS THEY'LL USE TO TRAVEL ON AND THE STATIONS THEY'LL ARRIVE IN WERE BUILT IN THE 1960s AND ARE SIMPLY INADEQUATE FOR THE LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TRAVELING IN THE 90s.  LONG CUES...NEAR CHAOS IN SOME TRAIN STATIONS AND CONSTANT MECHANICAL FAILURES PROVIDE CLEAR EVIDENCE OF AN INFRASTRUCTURE BEING PUSHED TO ITS LIMITS.

ANOTHER MORE SUBTLE CONSEQUENCE OF GREATER DOMESTIC TOURISM INVOLVES SOCIAL UNREST.  OBVIOUSLY IT REQUIRES MONEY TO TRAVEL...AND THOSE WITH THE DISPOSABLE INCOME NECESSARY TO VACATION GENERALLY COME FROM THE WEALTHIER SOUTHERN PROVINCES.  SO AS A RESULT OF TOURISM THE RICH SOUTHERNERS MEET THE POORER PEOPLE OF THE INTERIOR FACE TO FACE...AND THOSE PEOPLE LIVING IN PLACES SUCH AS GUANGXI PROVINCE SEE FIRST HAND HOW LITTLE THEY ARE BENEFITING FROM CHINA'S EXPANDING ECONOMY.

REGARDLESS OF THE PROS AND CONS...THE FACT REMAINS THAT MORE CHINESE HAVE MORE MONEY THAN EVER BEFORE IN THE COMMUNIST ERA...AND WITH RESPECT TO TRAVELING AND MOBILITY....MONEY MEANS FREEDOM.

WITH A POSTCARD FROM CHINA...I'M ERIC OLANDER IN GUILIN. (2:04)

OUTRO:

IN OUR NEXT POSTCARD...ERIC REPORTS FROM NAN CHANG ABOUT SMOKING....AND THE GOVERNMENT'S DILEMMA.

© BBC World Service 1993