Big data promotes China's tourism

BISU's Tourism Big Data Center analyzed over 500,000 tourist reviews of all of China's 250 AAAAA Scenic Areas posted between January and early November on such major online travel platforms as Ctrip and Mafengwo.

They sorted the reviews into 10 categories, including transportation, safety and public-toilet signage.

China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) calls for an evaluation system of tourism destinations focusing on travelers' reviews. It also calls for the creation of a catalogue of excellent tourism providers and the promotion of their brands.

A China Tourism Academy report shows over 62 million Chinese traveled overseas in the first half of the year, 5 percent more than during the same period of 2016.

Nearly 70 million overseas tourists visited China in the first six months of 2017.

"Online reputations reflect travelers' comments about scenic spots in a relatively objective way," BISU's Tourism Big Data Center's executive director Deng Ning says.

"Our analyses will help scenic areas improve management and service, and to better market themselves."