Panda hometown sees booming tourism

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Southwest China's Sichuan Province, home to most of the country's wild pandas, has seen a rapid increase in tourism in recent years, thanks to its rich cultural and natural resources and successful promotion.

The 4th Sichuan International Travel Expo, which opened Sunday in Emeishan City, will see the signing of 28 contracts valued at 68.5 billion yuan (10.5 billion US dollars), said Fu Yonglin, director of the Sichuan Tourism Development Committee.

China-ASEAN center debuts at the Sichuan International Travel Expo. /Photo via Chinanews.com

The week-long expo has attracted more than 2,000 guests from 74 countries and regions, including the United States, Australia, Russia and Germany, with this tourism allowing for an increase in green development and international opening-up.

Last year, Sichuan hosted 630 million domestic tourist arrivals and 3 million overseas visitors. Tourism accounts for 8.4 percent of the province's economy.

Nepal pavilion has gained popularity. /Photo via Chinanews.com

In the first half of this year, Sichuan tourism revenue grew by 19.3 percent year-on-year to reach 45.8 billion yuan.

"We strive to develop tourism into an industry of more than 100 billion yuan," said Peng Lin, Party chief of Leshan Municipal CPC Committee. Leshan City is home to Mount Emei and Leshan Giant Buddha, both found on UNESCO's heritage list.

Uganda booth attracts visitors. /Photo via Chinanews.com

During the expo, seminars will be held to discuss sustainable tourism development in the region.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency