Marriott will have more hotels in China than the U.S. in 5 years

Oct. 7， 2016 （China Travel News） -- Marriott plans to open about 100 mid-scale hotels in China within the next five years， which may mean the hotel group will have more hotels in China than in the United States. By the end of 2006， Marriott is expected to operate nearly 300 hotels in China. Marriott has become the largest global hotel chain operating 30 brands with over 5，700 properties worldwide after acquiring Starwood Hotels Resorts， which owns brands including Sheraton.

Chinese outbound tourist trips grow during National Day

Oct. 9， 2016 （Xinhua） -- Chinese outbound tourist trips grew in number and diversified in destinations during the past week-long National Day holidays. The Republic of Korea and Japan are the top two destinations for outbound trips， while Russia stood out as the third most popular place for travel. Meanwhile， visa-free policies attracted more Chinese tourists to lesser known destinations such as Morocco， Tonga and Tunisia.

Nation’s biggest ice cave beckons visitors

Oct. 10， 2016 （China Daily） -- China’s biggest ice cave， located in Shanxi province， continues to accumulate ice. The cave， in the Luya Mountain in Ningwu county， Xinzhou city， is connected to the Fenhe River， which is believed to be the water source. The cave is more than 100 meters deep at an altitude of approximately 2，300 meters which was formed around 3 million years ago.

Scenic spots ranked for their holiday services

Oct. 10， 2016 （China Daily） -- The China National Tourism Administration released ratings， listing the best and worst scenic spots， tourism agencies， tour guides and tourists during the National Day holidays. In the ratings， some attractions， including the Palace Museum in Beijing， the Nanshan Tourism Zone in Hainan province and the ancient town of Lijiang in Yunnan province， were praised for their management and smooth operation.

Tongcheng plans to acquire Wanda Tourism

Oct. 10， 2016 （China Travel News） -- Chinese OTA Tongcheng Tourism， property and entertainment conglomerate Wanda Group jointly announced that Tongcheng’s international tour operating unit will acquire Wanda’s tourism business. Meanwhile， Tongcheng Tourism also announced that it has received RMB 1 billion in a strategic funding round backed by Wanda Group， Ctrip and Tencent.