The Tibetan areas of western Sichuan in Southwest China, have been earmarked as part of a world tourist destination that boasts the potential of attracting 600,000 tourists a year by 2020.

Starting from Sichuan's capital Chengdu and Shanghai, the G317 and G318 National Expressways stretch through western Sichuan to Tibet in the north and down south respectively.

Five international tourism cities, 24 tourism towns and 47 ethnic villages will be built along the highways according to a plan by the Sichuan Provincial Tourism Bureau which completed evaluation in late June.

Experts from the United Nations World Tourism Organization and Pacific Asia Travel Association as well as local officials attended the evaluation.

Sichuan is a province with abundant natural and cultural heritage. In addition to the habitat of the giant panda, there are natural reserves and tourist spots such as Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, Emei Mountain, Dujiangyan Dam and Qingcheng Mountain. With several major Tibetan tribes, the Sichuan Tibetan region has become a focus for European visitors and a hotspot for domestic cyclists.

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