Travel professionals tour Xinjiang to boost tourism

Nearly 200 Chinese travel agency operators, their family and friends are on a trip to the Tianshan Mountains, in the latest move to boost tourism in Xinjiang amid terrorism threat.

The special tour group has tried entertainment offerings including riding horses in the canyon, tasting wine in Turpan, and visiting the 2,300-year-old Jiaohe Ruins during a seven-day trip, which will end on Thursday.

The activity was launched by travel agencies nationwide voluntarily "to tell others that Xinjiang tours are safe and enjoyable," said Huang He, who manages a travel agency website and is on the trip.

He said regional travel agencies have been in difficulty. So their peers from other provinces and regions decided to lend a hand.

The local tourism authorities and scenic spots are also offering special discounts for participants' tickets and accommodation. Each tour member is only paying about 3,800 yuan (about 618 U.S. dollars) including round-way air tickets for the trip, 700 yuan less than the normal price.

Duan Jianjiang, a Tianjin tourist encouraged by his friend Huang to participate, felt worried about the regional situation before he came.

"I regretted bringing my 80-year-old mom with me in the very beginning," he said, "but now, I have seen the efforts the government and scenic spots have made to keep us safe. Why not come to Xinjiang to taste the delicious raisins?"

Like Duan, Yang Ke, another tourist, was also "forced" to come by his father, who owns a travel agency and is also a member of this tour group.

Duan uploaded prairie pictures to instant messaging platform WeChat and attracted more than 100 friends.

"Someone asked me to bring specialties back, while others even called me for information of traveling in Xinjiang. My personal experience tells me that this is a wonderful place," he said.

Now is peak travel season in Xinjiang. Boasting over 1,100 tourist attractions, it is one of the favorite destinations for Chinese travelers.

However, owing to a string of terrorist attacks, the number of tourist arrivals in Xinjiang has nose-dived.

"A record 52 million tourists visited the region last year. But this June alone has seen the figure down 80 percent on the previous year in our agency," said Liu Fang, general manager of Xinjiang's Haoshiguang Travel Agency.

Liu Ying, a worker with the managing committee of Lake Tianchi, a famous tourist destination, said the tourism industry was hit hard, especially after the May 22 terrorist attack, which left 39 civilians dead and 94 others injured.

"We have installed new security equipment worth over 100,000 yuan and put in more security guards to ensure people's safety," Liu said.

Meanwhile, Chen Shuguo, head of the local tourism authority, pointed out that scenic spots in Turpan have adopted preferential policies, like lowering or exempting ticket fares and designing new travel routes, to attract visitors.

"We hope to eliminate public worries and misunderstandings about Xinjiang through this kind of activity," said Zhou Xinwei, general manager of a local tourism and culture company, during the trip.