Northwest China Taps Tourism ResourcesThe five provinces and autonomous regions in northwest China will join hands to develop their tourism industry by using the area's rich tourism resources.The State plans to spend 600 million yuan on developing the region's tourism industry this year. An official from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region's government has said tourism is playing an increasingly important role in Xinjiang's economic development and product structure. Tourism is expected to become Xinjiang's third largest pillar industry following oil and cotton industries, he added. Last year, Xinjiang attracted more than 220,000 overseas tourists and some seven million domestic visitors, earning over 85 million US dollars in foreign exchange and 6 billion yuan (722 million US dollars). Shaanxi Province set up a tourism group two years ago and invested 180 million yuan on 16 tourism projects. In 1999, the province received 27 million tourists, with tourism income reaching 10 billion yuan, accounting for 6.7 percent of the province's gross domestic product. The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region set up a poverty-relief demonstration zone in Xihaigu this year, the region's poorest area, to help local people get rid of poverty through developing tourism industry. Qinghai and Gansu provinces have also adopted various measures to improve local infrastructure facilities and launch new tourism projects. During the national tourism festival held in Xinjiang from July 14-16, the five provinces and autonomous regions offered new tourism routes. The aim of holding the festival in Xinjiang, said deputy director of the National Tourism Administration Zhang Xiyin, is to show the tourism industry's support for the development of western China. |
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