Abstract: Some statistical data from survey are used to analyze the regional structure of tourist market and the characteristics of tourists．It is concluded that the source of tourists are geographically centralized,and the number of tourist is relatively stable.The primary tourist source markets are composed of the middle-aged and the young wage earners whose income and education levels are high.For the future development of rural tourism in Pearl River Delta,it is necessary to enhance the key market in the Pearl River Delta; to expand tourist market in the east,west and north of Guangdong,Hong Kong,Macao and Taiwan; and to exploit the potential markets in other provinces and areas.Meanwhile,attention must be paid to the development of the five key market segments which are constituted by office workers,officers,students,middle class and retired workers.

Key words: regional structure, tourist characteristics, rural tourism, Pearl River Delta