Tourism has long been a strategy for alleviating poverty. China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is one area really benefitting from tourist dollars. CGTN's Liu Yang meets a bread maker there, who shows us how tourism has changed his business and local's income.

The tradition of making Xinjiang naan bread dates back 2,000 years. In just 40 short minutes, this will all turn golden brown. Baikeli, the owner of the naan bread cooperative, has made a bundle of dough over the years with this old traditional gourmet treat. From creating a few hundred naan per day, to almost 7,000 these days, the demands are high. And all employees here are hired from the local village.

BAIKELI OWNER, AILIHASI FOOD COOPERATIVE "Their average salary is 2-to-5 thousand renminbi per month, that's well under 1,000 US dollars. I want to help them get out of poverty, so I founded this cooperative. We live in a very harmonious and stable Xinjiang, more tourists mean more income for us. So I thank the country and government for good policies that help us."

The small workshop has transformed into a naan bread cooperative. It is one of the most popular foods among locals and tourists alike. The workshop's next goal, to build the brand, and expand their market to other Belt and Road countries.

As the center of a fertile oasis at the basin of the central Xinjiang, the extreme heat and dryness of the summer allow the land of Turpan to produce high amounts of quality fruit; one of several things drawing tourists. In August alone, more than 3 million visitors came to the city and spent over 3 billion yuan in the area, a 101 percent increase year-on-year.

LIU YANG TURPAN "In 2017, Xinjiang received more than 100 million tourists, a record high. Tourism consumption reached 29 billion U.S. dollars, a 30-percent increase. People say the development of tourism in town means that young people will have more opportunities to choose different paths, and widen their views to create a better future."

In recent years, Xinjiang has stepped up efforts to develop its tourism to as a means of boosting local employment and increasing income. More than 100 million people visited Xinjiang in 2017, with tourists spending around 182 billion yuan, up 30 percent from 2016.

HOU HANMIN, PARTY SECRETARY XINJIANG TOURISM DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION "In this process, the farmers directly participate in the tourism. They sell naan bread, fruits, and embroidery products, things that have become must-have's with tourists. The increased exchanges have increased business, and brought in a new understanding. A lot of people say China is the safest country, and Xinjiang is as well the safe place to live."

Last year, nearly 318 thousand people were lifted out of poverty in Xinjiang, and 19 provinces and cities invested around 7.5 billion yuan in the area. And the more tourists that visit, the faster Baikeli's dreams will materialize. Liu Yang, CGTN, Xinjiang.