The combined value added amounted to 3.72 trillion yuan (about 550 billion U.S. dollars) in 2017, up 12.8 percent year on year, picking up pace from a 9.9-percent increase in 2016, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The sectors accounted for 4.53 percent of GDP in 2017, 0.08 percentage points higher than in 2016.

Among all tourism sectors, entertainment services witnessed the most rapid increase, 17.2 percent, followed by travel and catering services. Shopping was the biggest contributor, making up nearly a third of the total value added.

Thanks to improving incomes and better transport services, more Chinese people now travel during holidays, making tourism an increasingly bigger driver of the economy.