Officials from the State Development Planning Commission, the National Tourism Administration (NTA) and the Development and Research Centre of the State Council joined experts led by Li Yining, vice-chairman of the Financial and Economic Committee of the National People's Congress, to approve the Overall Plan of Anhui Province's Tourism Development.

According to the plan, Anhui will invest 34 billion yuan (US$4.1 billion) before 2020 on improving tourism infrastructure, service facilities and promotions to make travel there a pillar industry accounting for 9.1 per cent of the provincial gross domestic product (GDP).

Lu Bin, director of the plan designing committee, said Anhui's tourism business income stood at 18.6 billion yuan (US$2.3 billion) last year, or 5.7 per cent of Anhui's GDP - far from fulfilling its potential.

Tian Weiqian, vice-governor of the province, said in Beijing yesterday that the World Tourism Organization is also helping Anhui to formulate a plan to better promote the province's tourist attractions.

Anhui's income from tourism now ranks just 23rd among the 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in the Chinese mainland, despite rich tourist resources such as the scenic Mount Huangshan, the Huaihe River and the Yangtze River flowing past the province, Tian Wenqian said.

(China Daily May 14, 2002)