On Nov. 23, China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) convened a media briefing, introducing the tourism development progress in West China since the implementation of “West Development Strategy” ten years ago.

Wu Wenxue, member of CNTA Party Leadership Group and head of Department of Planning and Finance was present at the media briefing and made a keynote speech. China’s tourism resources are concentrated mainly in the Western Region, whose entire resources account for 40% of the total of the country. CNTA has all alonattaches significant importance to the State strategy of west development, and contains west tourism development in the whole strategy, offering support in various aspects such as capital, talent, planning and policy.

From 2001 through 2009, CNTA has

a. offered a total of BMB 727 million as the fund for tourism development of provinces, districts and cities in the Western Region, accounting for 58.82% of the Nation’s total amount;

b. adopted a variety of methods to intensify training of tourism talents in the Western Region;

c. organized staff to compile the Tourism Development Planning in the Three Gorges Region and planning documents on other significant regions

d. coordinated with related departments to launch new policies, adding the operation of tourist sites and attractions in the Western Region into the preferential tax policy of the West Development Strategy to achieve tax deductions and exemptions

Speaking of the major accomplishments of tourism development in the Western Region for the ten years, Wu wenxue said that in the West Development Strategy, tourism, as a “characteristic and advantageous industry” grows rather fast. From 2002 to 2008, the total tourism income in the Western Region grows by 2.19 times, higher than the GDP growth rate of 12 provinces, districts and cities in the same period, some of whose entire tourism income exceeds or approaches 10% of their GDP, making tourism a pillar or leading industry in the Western Region. Tourism development has increased rural income, and helped people in the area cast off poverty and become better off, improved protection of local ecological environment and cultural resources, boosted the comprehensive benefits of infrastructure construction, enhanced ethnic cohension and  stability in border areas, and is also condusive to the coordinated and balanced development of all regions.