The 12th Guizhou Tourism Industry Development Conference will be held in Pingtang county, Qiannan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture in Guizhou province on Nov 7-8, according to a press conference held on Nov 1.

Officials of Guizhou province hold a press conference for the 11th Guizhou Tourism Industry Development Conference. [Photo by Wu Min/gz.people.cn]

Guizhou has great potential for tourism development because of its natural beauty and diverse ethnic cultures. Tourists are interested in experiencing the rich and colorful cultures of groups like the Miao, Dong, Yi, Tujia and Bouyei.

Since 2006, Guizhou has been holding a tourism conference to promote the tourism industry as a pivot in the province's mission to fight against poverty.

This year's event will pay heavy tribute to the importance of the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) to enrich the tourism services by integrating it with the popularization of science.

Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope, known as FAST, is located in the Dawodang depression–a natural karst basin in Pingtang county in mountainous Guizhou province. [Photo/Xinhua]

FAST is a single-dish telescope with a diameter of half a kilometer, which was built in the Dawodang depression, a natural karst basin in Pingtang county. The telescope is designed to probe space for the faintest signs of life and is sensitive to any electromagnetic interference.

Surrounding areas are open to visitors. But the number of visitors is strictly controlled below 2,000 people per day and electronic devices including cell phones and cameras are prohibited.

According to local authorities, since it began operation in September last year, it has received more than 240,000 visitors.