The government of Shanxi province plans to expand its tourist routes from eight to 18 in the province, with the aim of attracting more investment from around the country, according to Shanxi Daily.

It is expected that the province will begin to cooperate with financial groups, industry experts, media organizations and well-known tourism investors like China Tourism Group, Baidu, Alibaba and Ctrip, a giant online travel firm.

The government will hold four investment fairs in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hefei, capital of Anhui province from April to June this year, according to an official from Shanxi provincial tourism development commission.

As Shanxi's leading non-coal industry, tourism has witnessed steady growth in recent years. Total income from the industry was almost 425 billion yuan ($62 billion) in 2016.

This year, the province aims to attract around 493 million tourists from around the world, with revenues projected at more than 475.67 billion yuan ($69.7 billion).