国外旅游 Traveling Abroad

　　The above table clearly mirrors an upward trend in the number of people who prefer to travel abroad over the last decade. In 1995, there are only ten thousand tourists going overseas to take a trip. In 2000, the figure climbs to approximately 40 thousand, and peaks at 120 thousand in 2005.

　　There are a huge number of reasons behind this phenomenon, of which the most important one is --China's booming economy.

　　Thanks to the deepening of reform and opening-up, citizens of the Middle Kingdom enjoy a sharp improvement in their living standards. They have enormous consuming power to pursue higher level of living quality. Perhaps getting tired of visiting scenic spots at home, an increasing number of them choose foreign countries as their tour destinations.

　　When it comes to what impacts it would bring, in my eyes, it would give a huge boost to tour industry both at home and abroad. And it would give Chinese deeper insights into foreign cultures. Of course, the dark side of this phenomenon also exists. For instance, the uncivilized behavior of some Chinese tourists may have a negative impact on China's image. Anyway, overseas travel is beneficial. What really needs to occur is consumer education.