Beijing was the most popular tourism destination around China last year according to annual income, the Beijing Business Today reported on Wednesday, citing data from the National Tourism Administration.

According to the data, China's total tourism business took in 235.67 billion yuan ($36.43 billion) in 2010, up 35.01 percent year-on-year. Travel agents in Beijing earned the most money around the country, followed by Guangzhou and Shanghai.

Industry insiders said the industrialization process of Beijing's tourism sector, which has given rise to more private travel agencies in the area, has improved service quality and has made more profit.