Belt, Road helping expand overseas tourism sector

China's outbound tourism saw steady growth in the first half of this year, and countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative have emerged as popular attractions for Chinese travelers, the China Tourism Academy said in a news conference in Beijing on Thursday.

The academy said Chinese travelers made about 81.3 million outbound visits from January to June, up 14 percent over the same period in 2018. Among overseas destinations that domestic travelers visited, attractions in BRI-related countries saw continuous growth.

Mafengwo, an online travel agency headquartered in Beijing, said in a report jointly released with the academy on Thursday that State policy plays a rather important role in affecting the destinations travelers select.