CHINA’S consumption of services in sectors including tourism, culture, and sports registered fast growth in the first half of 2018, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

In the first half, service consumption in tourism, culture, sports, eldercare, and housekeeping accounted for 40 percent of total household consumption, according to Liu Yunan, an NDRC official.

China’s tourism market continued to expand, with domestic tourism revenue rising 12.5 percent year on year in the the first half.

Both investment and consumption in the culture industry showed good performance in the the first half. Fixed asset investment in the culture industry climbed 17.5 percent from a year earlier, while China’s box office sales went up 17.8 percent year on year.

With an aging population, demand for eldercare services have been on the rise. By June, the number of elderly care institutions and facilities hit 156,000, with over 7 million beds and more than 700,000 workers.

Sports, a sector with great potential in China, also saw marked growth, said Ou Xiaoli, another NDRC official.

Ou forecasts that by the end of this year, the added value of the sports industry will contribute to more than 1 percent of China’s gross domestic product, contributing to nearly a trillion yuan (about US$146 billion) in consumption and creating over 4.4 million jobs. (Xinhua)