Rural Tourism Generates 770 Billion Yuan Revenue in First Half of 2018

A sightseeing train carries visitors around Lujiacun village in Anji, Zhejiang province. [Photo by Fang Li/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Rural tourism in China saw a boom in the first half of this year, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said on Wednesday.

About 1.37 billion visits were made by Chinese travelers to destinations in the countryside from January to June, accounting for nearly 50 percent of domestic visits, according to the latest official data.

The revenue generated by rural tourism in the first six months reached 770 billion yuan ($111.64 billion), accounting for over 30 percent of total revenue for related industries.

Shan Gangxin, the ministry’s deputy director of resources development, said building quality homestays and B&B accommodation is key to boosting tourism in the countryside.

“The number of B&Bs has reached 16,000 in Zhejiang province, bringing 98,000 jobs,” he said. “The sector has grown into a strong driver of the rural economy.”

The ministry, together with 16 other central authorities including the National Development and Reform Commission, released a guideline focusing on sustainable development of rural tourism in November, covering directions on its culture, infrastructure and public services construction.

The ministry also said it had launched four training sessions on tourism-driven poverty alleviation work for village cadres in the second half of this year and five more on rural tourism and B&Bs.

Over 2,000 trainees were involved in the courses, it said.