Central China's Hubei Province is ready for the competition the province's tourism industry will encounter with China's expected entry into the World Trade Organization.

Du Yunsheng, head of the Hubei Provincial Tourism Bureau, said the province will offer carefully planned tour packages to such popular sites as the Three Gorges along the Yangtze River, the primitive forests at Shennongjia of western Hubei, and central Chinese cities.

More hotels and visitor facilities will also be built in the province, Du said, adding that tourism services will be upgraded.

Construction of highways linking major scenic sites will be accelerated. The projects include the highway linking Yichang, the nearest city to the Three Gorges Dam, with the Shennongjia Primitive Forest Zone, and highways which will make the out-of-the-way Jiugong and Dabie mountains accessible.

New air routes connecting Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei, to Japan and the Republic of Korea will be opened.