Life of Guangzhou - Going to Guangdong:the Bright Prospect of GD's Tourism Industry

Guangdong province in south China continues to register rapid tourism growth due to the country's reform and opening up policies over the past three decades.

The tourism industry of Guangdong province continues to develop rapidly, last year reaching revenues of 245.4 billion yuan, an increase of 15.8 percent over 2006.

The industry generated $8.7 billion in foreign earnings in 2007, also an increase of more than 15 percent, and fully one-fifth of the national total in the sector.

Ports in the province received 103 million overseas visitors last year, including those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, an increase of 2.8 percent compared to the previous year.

Guangdong also hosted 129 million domestic visitors who stayed overnight, up by 19.4 percent from 2006.

As well, 27.15 million local visitors set off on outbound travel from Guangdong's ports last year, a rise of 20 percent from the previous year.

The industry is also becoming more mature. It now has 983 travel agencies, 198 of which were formed with international investment.

There were also more than 300 large-scale provincial tourism destinations by the end of last year, including two rated 5A and 46 at the 4A level.

The robust industry has significantly helped poor regions in their rise from poverty.

With funding of 200 million yuan from the provincial government, Guangdong started 262 anti-poverty projects using tourism to generate income for locals.

Adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao, the province's tourism industry has become even more closely linked to the two special administrative regions. By the end of last year, more than 40 million Hong Kong and Macao travel permits were issued to Guangdong residents.

The pan-Pearl River Delta that includes Hong Kong, Macao, Guangdong, Yunnan, Hunan, Fujian, Guizhou, Jiangxi, Hainan and Sichuan provinces and Guangxi region, represents an enormous market in both tourist numbers and attractions.

To assist further development, the provincial tourism administration will hold the fourth Guangdong International Tourism and Culture Festival in November this year.

"The tourism industry is very profitable and brings happiness to people," vice-governor Wan Qingliang, said in a conference earlier this year. "Management in the industry should be creative and innovative, and keep a human-oriented working style to develop further."

For continued growth, he noted the need for more foreign capital and lower investment barriers for domestic investors.

The tourism authority should develop more tourism resources, such as industrial tourism and agricultural tourism, he said.

To assist the ongoing maturation, transport in the province is expected to be further improved in the next few years, with visitors able to reach any city in the province within three hours by bus or by train.

Wan said the prospect of Guangdong's tourism industry is very bright. All tourism indexes of this year are expected to break the records.

(By Liang Qiwen)

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