Central China's Hunan, the home province of the late Chairman
Mao Zedong, is aiming to build itself into a major tourist
destination over the next five years.
According to a work conference of the provincial government on
tourism promotion, Hunan has mapped out a five-year blueprint to
attract one million overseas tourists and 95 million domestic
tourists per year during the period. The town of Shaoshan, the
birthplace of the late Chairman Mao Zedong, is an important mecca
for Chinese tourists.
The province, which also features spectacular mountain scenery
at Zhangjiajie, hopes to earn nearly 110 billion yuan (US$13.75
billion) in annual tourism revenue by 2010, with US$1 billion
from overseas tourists and 100 billion yuan (US$12.5 billion) from
domestic tourists.
The booming tourism industry will provide employment
opportunities for local people, especially farmers as the focus of
tourism will shift from urban visits to rural tours during the
period.
In 2006 alone, Hunan aims to attract 740,000 overseas tourists
and 75 million domestic tourists. Meanwhile, the province is
expected to earn a tourism revenue of 54 billion yuan (US$6.75
billion), 20 percent more than 2005.
(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2006)