Anhui province has made significant progress in developing its tourism in 2010, and will further boost tourism in 2011, according to Zang Shikai, director at the province’s publicity department.

The remark was made in Anhui province’s 2010 government work report and 2011 work emphasis plan released Feb 1.

Anhui used to be an important base during the revolution, years before the founding of People’s Republic of China in 1949. Its featured locations could remind people of that history.

The province hopes to develop specialized tourism they call “red tourism”, as red is commonly seen as the symbol of revolution.

In 2010, 13.6 million tourists visited Anhui – a 21-percent increase from the previous year. “Red tourism” generated 6.1 billion yuan, rising 18 percent from the 2009.

About 4,350 “red tourists” were from overseas. That is 18 percent more international visitors than in the previous year.

The development of “red tourism” has boosted the revenue at former revolutionary bases and raised the income of local people.

2011 is the 90th anniversary of the founding of China’s Communist Party, and it’s the first year of the central government’s twelfth Five-Year-Plan (2011-2015) period.

National leaders have high expectations for 2011 as an important opportunity to boost “red tourism” around the country.

President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao have visited local people at revolutionary bases in Hebei and Anhui provinces.

Anhui government officials are aiming to further boost the province’s red tourism, local media reported.

By Xu Xiao