Tourism boom expected after closing ceremony

Beijing and other Olympic co-host cities will see an internal tourism bonanza after the Games, which end today, an official survey found.

China's leading online travel agent, Ctrip, found that 70 per cent of those surveyed planned to visit the host cities after the Games, Xinhua reported yesterday.

The survey of 1,000 people found Beijing was the most popular destination, with 60 per cent saying they would visit the capital after the Games. Hong Kong and coastal Qingdao came second with 40 per cent.

August traditionally marks the peak for mainland tourism, but this month many people chose to stay at home to watch the Olympics and postponed travel plans.

More than 50 per cent of respondents aimed to travel to long-distance domestic destinations, about 30 per cent favoured shorter tours and more than 10 per cent said they would go abroad.

Among the domestic destinations, Shanghai, Qinhuangdao, Shenyang and Tianjin also had potential to be popular with visitors this year.