Wudang holds Shiyan Tourism Conference

The Wudang Mountains tourist attraction hosted the 2014 Shiyan Municipal Tourism Conference in Shiyan city, Hubei province, on Feb 26, wudangshan.gov.cn reported.

Lu Xichang, director of the Shiyan Municipal Tourist Bureau, gave a presentation on the situation of tourism in the city, and said that a total of 29.1 million tourists from home and abroad visited Shiyan in 2013, a year on year increase of 24.75 percent, and 14.5 percent higher than the growth rate of the rest of the country.

He also said that Shiyan ranks 92nd in terms of tourism competitiveness, and the city has been named an “Outstanding Tourism City” of Hubei.

Lu added that the city aims to continue developing its tourism industry in 2014, and to attract about 34 million visitors this year, an increase of 18 percent compared to 2013 - generating tourism revenue of 25 billion yuan ($4.07 billion), an increase of 20 percent. Tourism revenue is expected to account for 20 percent of the city’s GDP.

Shen Xueqiang, vice-mayor of Shiyan, said that several major corporations - such as Volvo and Dalian Wanda Group - have located to the city, and this will also promote the development of local tourism and the development of cooperation between the city and the rest of the world.

Yang Danhua, deputy director of the Wudang Mountains management committee, said that the committee will also aim to continue developing the area so that it becomes even more famous.

At the end of the conference, Wudang Mountains signed strategic cooperation contracts with other districts of Shiyan to contribute to the transformation and development of tourism in the city.

Participants attend the 2014 Shiyan Municipal Tourism Conference in Wudang Mountains tourist attraction, Shiyan city, Hubei province, on Feb 26. [Photo/wudangshan.gov.cn]

Representatives of Wudang Mountains and other districts of Shiyan city sign strategic cooperation contracts at the 2014 Shiyan Municipal Tourism Conference in Wudang Mountains tourist attraction, Shiyan city, Hubei province, on Feb 26. [Photo/wudangshan.gov.cn]

Li Faping (third from right), vice-mayor of Shiyan city and director of the Wudang Mountains management committee, gives a speech at the 2014 Shiyan Municipal Tourism Conference in Wudang Mountains tourist attraction, Shiyan, Hubei province, on Feb 26. [Photo/wudangshan.gov.cn]

Edited by Niva Whyman and Le Qin