Southwest China's Sichuan Province, the home of a series of world-known tourist destinations, plans to open nonstop flights to the United States and some European nations, including France, Germany, Britain and Russia, in the coming two years.

The move will help attract more tourists from abroad to Sichuan, the provincial tourism bureau believed.

By 2010, the province plans to annually receive 2 million visitors, the bureau said.

To achieve the goal, the bureau will design better itineraries in partnership with its peers from Sichuan's neighboring provinces and regions.

Sichuan boasts 89 tourist sites approved by the State Council or the provincial government. Four of them, namely Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, Dujiang Weir and Mount Emei, are included in UNESCO's world natural and cultural heritage list.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2005)