Tourism exchanges increase via Belt and Road Initiative

Tourism exchanges have been increasing thanks to enhanced cooperation between China and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The scale of two-way tourism exchanges has exceeded 25 million trips, according to Li Jinzao, head of China National Tourism Administration.

About 85 million trips are expected to be made from countries in the Belt and Road region to China from 2016 to 2020, spending about $110 billion, Li estimated.

Over 10 million trips from China to countries in the region were made via China's largest online travel agency Ctrip.com last year, up 72.5 percent year on year, the company said in a report.

Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia are the top three destinations in the Belt and Road region for Chinese travelers, the report showed.

Since 2013, China has established tourism cooperation and exchange mechanisms with ASEAN, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Mongolia. Ten bilateral tourism events covering 34 countries in the Belt and Road region have been held to promote tourism exchanges.

China will cultivate new domestic markets such as cultural and business tourism while enhancing cooperation with other countries in tourism insurance and market regulation, according to Li.