Learn Chinese - Catering industry, well done!

BIZCHINA / Biz Life

Catering industry, well done!

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-07-05 15:38

China's catering and hotel sector performed well thanks largely to strong
demand in the first half of this year, sources with the Ministry of
Commerce said on Wednesday.

Between January and June, the sector's retail sales were estimated at
581.2 billion yuan (77.5 billion U.S. dollars), a rise of 88.2 billion
yuan, or 17.9 percent, over the same period last year. The growth rate
was 2.6 percentage points higher.

The sector accounted for 13.8 percent of China's total retail sales in
the six-month period, the sources added.

Star-level hotels and major restaurants each with annual sales of at
least 2 million yuan and employing more than 40 people recorded estimated
sales of 170.8 billion yuan nationwide, a growth of 18.5 percent over the
first half of last year. The growth rate was 4.2 percentage points higher.

The ministry predicted the hotel and catering sector would maintain its
growth in the second half of the year as demand would remain strong. The
sector's retail sales for the whole year would likely amount to 1.22
trillion yuan, up more than 18 percent over last year.

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