A traditional Scottish welcome is played out by musicians at the Scottish Pasture Tourist Resort on Oct 28. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

More than 85 billion yuan ($12.59 billion) of investment deals were signed at the 7th Tourism Industry Development Conference, which opened in Xiuwen county, Guiyang, on Oct 28.

The focus of the conference was to strengthen the integration of traditional tourism with big data, culture, sports and agriculture. Yangming Culture Park and Scottish Pasture Tourist Resort were the main scenic spots to be promoted at the conference.

The newly-renovated memorial of Wang Yangming, a philosopher of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) opened to the public on the day. The memorial cost more than 30 million yuan and covers 3,600 square meters. Visitors can learn about Wang’s life and his philosophical teachings there.

The sport-focused Scottish Pasture Tourist Resort will provide interactive displays to showcase its golf, helicopter, hot-air balloon and bicycling facilities. On usual days, visitors can enjoy horse riding, grass skiing and fishing in the resort.

Since it was launched in 2006, the conference has become a platform to promote Guiyang’s tourism brands and stimulate the local economy.

Tourist visitor numbers increased in the provincial capital from January to September, compared to last year. The city welcomed more than 90 million visitors during the period, generating more than 112 billion yuan, an increase of 35.6 percent compared to the same period last year.