Tourism is booming as the number of tourists to the scenic city of Guilin in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has hit a record high.

Last year, more than 100 million people visited Guilin, a year-on-year increase of 32.58 percent, according to the local government on Friday.

The total consumption in tourism exceeded 139 billion yuan (20 billion U.S. dollars) in 2018, up 43.22 percent year on year.

Guilin, in the northern part of Guangxi, is known for its picturesque karst mountains and beautiful rivers.

To bring the tourism industry to the next level, local authorities have issued a host of policies, including 72-hour visa-free transit stays for nationals of 51 foreign countries, and six-day visa-free stays for tourist groups of ASEAN member countries.

(Cover: Guilin in the setting sun. /VCG Photo)