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A Fitting Theme for State's Tourism Industry
To promote tourism, China has decided to make "sports and health" the theme of the country's tourism in the coming year.
Sun Gang, vice-chairman of China National Tourism Administration, announced the decision in Beijing yesterday.
"China Sports and Health Tourism 2001 will help to enrich tourism and increase our competitiveness in the international tourism market," Sun said.
"It will also be good for Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games," Sun added.
Sponsored by the China National Tourism Administration and Jilin Province, the opening ceremony will be held in Changchun, capital of Northeast China's Jilin Province on New Year's Day next year.
There will be 60 tourism festivals, such as an ice and snow festival in Harbin and Changchun, and 80 special excursions including desert exploration in Xinjiang and Gansu and skiing in Heilongjiang, Jilin and Sichuan.
China has rich natural resources for sports and health tourism, especially in provinces in the northwest.
As there is a long way to go to develop tourism there, promotion over the coming year will especially help tourists from overseas to understand the more remote and mysterious regions in China, Sun said.
Beginning in 1992, China selected one theme for tourism promotion each year.
Past themes include heritage, ecological protection, folklore, mountains and rivers.
(www.chinadaily.com.cn)
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