Yunnan to invest 300m yuan in tourism promotion

Tourism companies in Yunnan province are to invest 300 million yuan ($49.56 million) to promote tourism products and build a unified tourism brand for the province, the local authority announced on Tuesday.

Since the Tourism Law came into effect in October, authorities have been seeking to transform China's tourism industry from a condition of disordered competition to a system of regulated operation.

"Low prices are not the only competitive weapon among the players any more," said Duan Yueqing, director of the tourism development committee in Yunnan province.

The government department has organized the majority of tourism companies in the province into a tourism promotion alliance.

Besides promoting the tourism products of the province, the alliance will also supervise the players in Yunnan through a system of certification with the aim of ensuring quality.

In 2013, about 240 million people visited Yunnan province, including 4.8 million foreigners, said Li Shihong, director of tourism promotion and international liaison at the National Tourism Administration.