China Travel Service

The China Travel Service (CTS) is the tourism and travel agency of the government of the People's Republic of China. Its task is to market China to the rest of the world and to promote and develop its visitor economy. It is a sub-ministerial authority which is responsible to the China National Tourism Administration.

CTS was established on November 19, 1949 and growing out of Overseas Chinese Service founded in Xiamen, Fujian Province, is one of the first tour operators of China. In 1974, Overseas Chinese Service Head Office changed its name to China Travel Service Head Office. As the head enterprise of China Travel Service in the whole country, China Travel Service Head Office gradually developed from a travel agency whose main business focused on overseas Chinese, Chinese with foreign nationalities, Chinese from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to a travel agency whose business consists of inbound tourism, outbound tourism, and domestic tourism.

Today it serves hundred of thousands tourists from home and abroad. It has joined the China Travel Association, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and became a full member of these associations. It has established close cooperative relations with hundreds of travel service providers of main tourism countries in the world.

CTS Head Office has become one of the largest travel agencies in China and its business scope covers the fields of travel service, hotel management, car rental, domestic and international trade, international cargo transportation and publication and others. It has established a comprehensive network centering on Beijing and covering other areas through Hong Kong and Macao China Travel Services.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/