Xinjiang tourism industry vital to regional development

The tourism industry will come to the fore in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to accelerate the building of the Silk Road economic belt, local authorities said Tuesday, despite a drop in tourist numbers caused by recent terror attacks.

Xinjiang has very rich tourism resources and remains one of the most attractive travel destinations in China, said Inam Nesirdin, director of Xinjiang tourism bureau.

He said that local government and another 19 provincial and municipal governments, which are included in the "pairing assistance" project in 2010 to support Xinjiang, are working on delivering positive messages to tourists nationwide.

Many tourists are still visiting the region, said Nesirdin, adding that they are expecting to host two large delegations from Henan Province and Shanghai involving tour agency chiefs and entrepreneurs.

"It's only a small minority of vicious people attempting to damage Xinjiang's image and the harmonious relationship between Han and Uyghur people," he said. "With more people coming to see the real situation here, the negative influence brought by terrorists will be defused soon."

The tourism industry will drive many associated businesses like hotels and transportation development.

The Silk Road economic belt, a concept proposed by President Xi Jinping last year during his trip to Central Asian countries, aims to promote regional economic development.

The Xinjiang government has vowed to become a core part of the Silk Road economic belt, said Gan Changchun, deputy director of Xinjiang development and reform commission.

Nesirdin said that the decline in numbers came after the March 1 terrorist attack at Kunming Railway Station, in which 29 people died and over 140 were injured.

From March to May, there has been a 40 percent drop in tourist numbers compared with last year, Nesirdin said. However, the shortened May 1 national holiday is also a contributing factor in the decline.

Currently Xinjiang tourism bureau is negotiating with the 19 regions in the "support Xinjiang" scheme to organize tour groups.

"We should not be pessimistic," Nesirdin said. "In recent years no tourist has ever been hurt in attacks or chaos. Security at tourist spots has been and continues to be at an extremely high level."

He added that the government has offered subsidies of 20 million yuan ($3.2 million) to give every tourist from the 19 regions a coupon worth 500 yuan to encourage them to visit.