Ningxia launching drive to lure Muslim visitors

The inland Ningxia Hui autonomous region, home to China's second-largest group of Muslims, plans to become a destination for overseas Muslim tourists.

It aims to do so by providing more direct flights, simpler visa procedures and a tax refund policy on shopping, a senior tourism official said.

The sixth national census in 2010 showed that the northwestern region - a major stop on the ancient Silk Road - had about 2 million Muslims, following the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region with more than 10 million.