Rural tourism is becoming a driving force?in Shanxi's economic growth, and has brought the province 20.22 billion yuan ($3.16 billion) and 21.6 percent of China’s domestic tourists this first half year.

The rapid development was attributed to the huge market potential of over 150 million urban residents in six provinces and municipalities surrounding Shanxi. The province’s tourism authorities have been developing rural tourism in recent years, resulting in 34 million visits in the first six months of the year.

Today‘s rural tourism is no longer in its primary stage. It has developed into a tourism type combined sightseeing, folk culture, health care and entertainment.

In addition to the diverse activities, the government has explored new business models, such as cooperation between companies and farmers and integration of professional cooperatives with farmers, to develop agriculture and increase farmers’ income at the same time.

There are now more than ten tourist demonstration counties and over a hundred demonstration tourist spots in the province.

Meanwhile, the province's tourism?bureau has subsidized rural tourism with 13 million yuan to support the areas with good resources and potential. Another subsidy of 7 million yuan will help pilots alleviate poverty through rural tourism. The pilots, selected by the State Council and the National Tourism Administration will each get 220,000 yuan.

Rural tourism has become an important approach for agricultural restructuring, and also helped to expand exchanges between urban and rural areas and narrow their differences.

Also it creates more jobs for farmers, many of whom are switching to from farming to services.

The?rural tourism has brought new ideas, new information and new technologies to rural areas, which will help to push civilization forward.