China's capital of Beijing is fueling the speed of hotel construction by 7 percent annually in terms of guest rooms to get ready for the coming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

More than 800,000 foreigners are expected to visit Beijing during the 2008 summer games and the city needs 230 more star hotels to meet the huge demand, the Saturday's China Daily quoted sources of Beijing Tourism Bureau as saying.

Most of the new hotels will involve the renovation of old hotels and training centers, which are usually affiliated with governmental institutions or state-owned enterprises.

"In addition to upgrading the actual buildings, these accommodation facilities must also update their management and service efficiency," said Yu Debin, vice director of the Beijing Tourism Bureau.

Yu also said private investors are also being invited to invest in the renovation of the old-style travel accommodation facilities, adding that "we are encouraging more State-owned hotels, even those with star grades, to get involved in private capital and diversified ownership to become more competitive in the new market-oriented economy."

There are currently 576 star hotels in Beijing, of which only 60 are foreign-invested joint ventures. However, these foreign-invested hotels account for 56 percent of the total revenue of the city's hotel industry.

(Xinhua News Agency November 15, 2003)