According to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the accommodation and catering industry recorded total retail sales of approximately US$125 billion in the first half of 2009, reflecting an 18% growth when compared to the same period in 2008.

Among the administrative divisions in China, developed areas such as Beijing, Guangdong, Tianjin and Zhejiang recorded the lowest growths at 13.6%, 13.3%, 9.2% and 4.5%, respectively.

The central and western China provinces of Jilin, Sichuan and Inner Mongolia registered the highest growths at 24.2%, 22.5% and 21.5%, respectively.

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