But some potential tourists might be put off by the expected increase in package tour prices. Many may already have signed up for such trips thinking they were getting a good deal. And while they should have known better, one can hardly blame ordinary people, who are keen to see China and the world, for wanting to travel on the cheap.

These people have to save lots of money for housing, children's education and unexpected health emergencies, leaving them with limited funds for travel. China has made considerable progress in addressing some of these problems－for example, 90 percent of the people now have some form of health insurance. However, as the country's new leaders recognize, much still needs to be done to boost consumer spending in China.

Tourists opt for package tours not just to save money, but also because such trips cram in lots of destinations in a short period of time. Again, although it would be better for travelers to spend more time at one place to really get to know it, ordinary Chinese have good reason for doing the opposite. Most get very few days of paid leave and wish to see, or claim to have seen, more rather than fewer places. So naturally they opt for tours with crowded itineraries.

The new tourism law also aims to curb the increase in entry fees at scenic and historic sites. This provision will deal with moves like the recent introduction of a 148-yuan ($24.2) entry fee for Fenghuang old town in Hunan province.

While the new law is clearly welcome, local governments might not go along with it. For quite some time, many of them have been exploiting their natural scenic and historic sites as profit-making tools, as opposed to national treasures that should be accessible to and enjoyed by all Chinese.

Moreover, in many of China's poorer regions, tourism has an outsized impact on the local economies. In Yunnan province, for example, tourism accounts for 7 percent of the GDP. Local authorities may balk at not just preventing the entry fees for tourist sites from rising, but also the changes in tour packages, especially if the latter causes a drop in number of tourists.

The new tourism law, then, is a good first step. But a lot of heavy lifting remains to be done to place China's tourism industry on a sound footing and to boost domestic travel.

The author is an American corporate trainer in China.