Although most domestic travel agencies are struggling with profit slides in the sluggish market,those that own international lines and treat foreign guests are still making big money,the Xinhua News Agency reported today.

Statistics released by the National Tourism Administration indicated that 14percent of the travel agencies in China are international travel agencies,and their annual business income accounts for 98percent of the income recorded for the industry in all.

The travel agencies that only do local business or national business are suffering red figures.They are profitting fewer and fewer.

The international travel agencies are mostly based in Shanghai,Guangdong,and several other coastal cities,provinces.The best 100of them,or the 100agencies whose services are graded highest by the administration,are making a profit that takes up 80percent of all the international travel agencies do.

Heads of the international agencies admit that it was the cross-the-border ingenuity that brought them fortune,but not the same as most people expect,it is not the international packages that are profitting most.

The international services offered by these agencies can be divided into two categories,the out-bound tours and the inland tours.Inland tours target foreigners and out-bound ones targeting local people.

Statistics indicate that it was the inland tours that are flourishing and making more money.As the international meetings and expos becomes more,the increasing foreign visitors are also bringing more business and vitality to the local travel industry.

(Eastday.com.cn 06/11/2001)