A group of seniors takes a mountain hike in Lushan, Jiangxi province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

WUHAN - China's forestry tourism has seen rapid growth with huge potential in the future, said a senior forestry official on Saturday.

The comprehensive output value of the country's forestry tourism reached 650 billion yuan ($103 billion) in 2014, accounting for one fifth of the country's tourism revenue, said Zhang Yongli, deputy head of the State Forestry Administration.

The rapid development of the forestry tourism sector shows its huge potential and wide prospects, he said at the opening of the country's forestry tourism festival held in central Wuhan city.

Visiting forests for a breath of fresh air and relaxation has become increasingly popular among China's urban dwellers.

Forest tourists reached 910 million last year in China, or one fourth of the country's total domestic tourists, statistics with the administration show.

At the end of 2014, China had more than 8,500 forestry tourism sites and built 3,101 forest parks nationwide.

China's policy to preserve state-owned forests will bring new opportunities for tourism, said Zhong Yongde, a professor in tourism at Central South University of Forestry and Technology.

He suggested finding a rational way to develop forestry tourism in order to avoid damaging the natural landscape.