Formulation of Tourism Law UrgedA lawmaker has asked the National People's Congress (NPC) to promptly enact the Tourism Law to advance the sustained and sound growth of China's tourism industry.Lu Yuying, a NPC deputy from southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said that China's tourism industry has scored successes that have caught attention of the whole world since China initiated the reform and opening-up drive 20 years ago. Lu, a teacher with the Guangxi Machinery Technical School, quoted official statistics that showed that the tourism industry had a total revenue of 451.85 billion yuan in 2000, up nearly 13 percent from the previous year. Hard currency earnings of the industry topped US$16.2 billionlast year, a 15 percent increase. She said, ��The tourism industry has become a new growth area in the national economy. It is playing a significant role in expanding domestic demand, increasing earnings in foreign currencies, eliminating poverty and providing jobs.�� She pointed out that the existing rules and regulations on tourism service cannot meet the needs of the development of the tourism industry. So, the NPC should enact the Tourism Law as soon as possible in order to standardize the development of the tourism industry. She proposed that the law should define the status of the tourism industry in the national economic and social development, and the government policy and measures on expanding the tourism industry, decide on the system for the rational development and scientific utilization of tourism resources and environmental protection, and provide for the protection of tourists�� rights and interests. |
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