| Friday, November 09, 2001, updated at 14:51(GMT+8) |
Tourism Economy of SW Province Robust for More Gains |
 The 2001 China International Tourism Fair,which opened Thursday in Kunming, the provincial capital, is a pageant to show off the province's rising tourism industry.
Boasting a bizarre landscape and diverse ethnic cultures, the southwestern province of Yunnan's tourism has taken a leading position in China and will soon be taking on the world.
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China Int'l Tourism Fair in Kunming
Boasting a bizarre landscape and diverse ethnic cultures, the southwestern province of Yunnan's tourism has taken a leading position in China and will soon be taking on the world.
The 2001 China International Tourism Fair,which opened Thursday in Kunming, the provincial capital, is a pageant to show off the province's rising tourism industry.
Last March experts with the World Tourism Organization indicated that the province, bordering southeast Asia, is poised to become one of Asia's most sought-after travel destinations in the next 20 years.
Over the past decade, the tourism industry in Yunnan grew at an average of 30 percent annually, one of the fastest among the provinces. Tourism has evolved into a pillar industry of the province's service sector, and accounts for 34.7 percent of its GDP.
Home to 25 ethnic groups, Yunnan is mysterious and appealing to both domestic and overseas tourists who are amazed at the ethnic culture and various customs here. Its rich culture, its natural resources and a warm, sunny climate make the province a paradise to travel in all the year round.
Earmarked for the 1999 world horticulture expo and following the sustained development of tourism, the province invested heavily in its infrastructure, especially in traffic and communications, in an effort to make travelling into and within the province easier.
Local authorities launched strict inspections this year to check illegal tourism services and violations against tourists' interests in order to maintain a safe, orderly and well-run tourism service sector.
While Chinese flock to the province for its fresh flowers, which are not so readily available in other areas of the country, tourists from other Asian countries see the area as a holiday resort.
The province last year received a total of 37 million domestic and overseas tourists and took in revenue of 21 billion yuan (about 2.5 billion U.S. dollars), ranking seventh among the provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.
In the first nine months of this year, the total revenue from tourism reached 21.79 billion yuan (2.4 billion US dollars) and the number of visitors reached 40 million, including 840,000 from overseas.
Over the past five years, the number of overseas and domestic tourists to the province increased annually by 10.9 percent and 16.6 percent respectively. Statistics show that during the period, the revenue from tourism accounted for an average of 8.2 percent of the province's gross domestic product (GDP).
Under the plan made by the Yunnan government and the World Tourism Organization, the province is expected to receive 47 million tourists by the year 2005; 52.6 million by 2010; and 64 million by 2020.
The revenue from tourism will reach 24 billion yuan, 40 billion yuan and 77 billion yuan respectively.
The fair covers 25,000 square meters and has 1,256 booths, hitting a record high in size, according to Zhang Xiqin, vice director of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).
Zhang said that 1,200 overseas participants from 50 different nations and regions will hold trade talks during the four-day fair.
Twelve ministers of tourism from foreign countries are participating.
Tour operators will use photographs, audio-visual aids and live performances to demonstrate the scenery, quality service and different customs of their countries to potential buyers.
Initiated in 1998, the fair has become the biggest in Asia. The previous two fairs were held in Shanghai in 1998 and 2000.
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