China to become world's largest theme park market by 2020

Tourists visit Harbin Ice and Snow World, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 5, 2017. China is slated to become world's largest theme park market by 2020, when the number of tourists is expected to exceed 230 million, according to a fresh report by U.S. engineering firm AECOM. The number of tourists to Chinese theme parks have seen an average annual growth of 13 percent in the past decade, and reached 190 million in 2017. The number is expected to keep the double digit growth in the following years, according to the report. The report attributes the rapid growth to Chinese consumers' rising income that sparks greater demands on leisure activities, as well as more convenient public transportation systems. (Xinhua/Wang Kai)