Top 10 China tourism stories in 2017

6. Poverty alleviation through tourism development is further promoted

On Nov 1 and 9, the China National Tourism Administration hosted a conference on poverty alleviation through tourism development targeting destitute areas in Southwest and Northwest China.

In 2017, more than 1,500 pioneers in rural tourism development, village officials and community-level tourism officials received training on poverty reduction through tourism development, and the Agricultural Development Bank of China and CITIC Group increased financial support for the initiative.

7. Regulation keeps tourism market in good order

On Feb 23, the China National Tourism Administration launched the "Spring Operation" with the Ministry of Public Security and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce to regulate the tourism market.

It was followed by the "Summer Vacation Operation" and the "Fall-and-Winter Operation" aimed at cracking down on unreasonably low-priced tours and the operation of unlicensed travel businesses.

Throughout the year, almost 49,000 tourism companies were inspected, about 2,600 cases filed and fines worth 30 million ($4.6 million) issued.

8. Inbound tourism rebounds

On Sept 28, the China Tourism Academy released the 2017 annual report on China's inbound tourism.

According to the report, China's inbound tourism experienced a recovery in 2016, with the number of inbound tourists and consumption expenditure continuing to grow. The number of inbound tourists grew up by 8.3 percent from the previous year, the highest since the start of the last global financial crisis. The number of inbound tourists is expected to hit 139 million in 2017.

9. Tourism industry promotes green development and environmental protection

On April 24, the China National Tourism Administration and the Ministry of Environmental Protection launched the annual campaign for nominating national eco-tour demonstration zones.

Since the nomination was initiated in 2013, the two have jointly announced 110 national eco-tour model zones.

10. Red tourism gains popularity, benefiting local residents

On Nov 10, the China Red Tourism Promotion Alliance was established, serving as a platform for deepening the exchange and cooperation among "red tourism" zones.

The year 2017 marked the 96th anniversary of the Communist Party of China and the 90th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army and witnessed the 19th CPC National Congress.

These historic events have fueled the popularity of red tourism, which allows people to reminisce about the revolutionary years.

For the 109 classic red tourism zones and 18 key cities for red tourism covered in the statistical survey, the number of visitors is expected to hit 750 million.