Anhui Provincial Tourism Administration has recently published the tourism economic data for the first eight months of 2009.

In the first eight months of 2009, 53 key scenic spots received 29.33 million tourists, showing an increase of 21.79%, and total ticket sales reached 968 million yuan, an increase of 15.62%. The number of inbound tourists reached 960,900, an increase of 16.05%.

Anhui province has been developing three main tourism projects: the southern Anhui international tourism zone, the pan-Chaohu national tourism zone, and the new northern Anhui regional tourism zone. It will develop build Hefei, Huangshan, and Wuhu into three central tourist cities.

In addition, the province has also been looking for regional cooperation. For example, it has signed tourism cooperation agreements with 12 provinces; and Huangshan, Chizhou, Xuancheng, and Chuzhou have joined the Yangtze Delta Tourist City League.

(China Hospitality News September 24, 2009)