Roundup

RESTRICTIONS EASED

Tourism authorities in China have loosened restrictions on cross-provincial group travel for regions with no high or medium-risk areas for COVID-19, but called for strict precautionary measures. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued a renewed guideline for travel agencies on Tuesday, allowing tour agencies and online travel enterprises to resume their cross-provincial businesses as well as ticket and hotel reservation services in provincial regions with no high or medium-risk areas.

NEW ADDITION

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, has added another 199 villages to the country's list of key villages for rural tourism development. The two departments also announced a list of key rural tourism townships, the first of its kind. A total of 100 townships nationwide made it into the list. Previously, China had released two lists of key rural tourism villages, consisting of 1,000 villages in total.

DIGITAL SERVICES

More than 6,000 scenic sites rated at least 1A across China are open to online reservations, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. By the end of this year, all State-owned tourism sites are expected to offer online booking services. The ministry will ramp up the promotion of big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence in tourism and encourage innovation in public services in developing smart tourism, said Shan Gangxin, an official with the ministry, at a news conference last week.

BUILDING LEGOLAND

The construction of Legoland Shenzhen Resort, the largest of its kind in the world, began on Monday in the coastal city in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. With an investment of more than 7 billion yuan ($1.1 billion), the new theme park is scheduled to open in 2024. It will consist of nine thematic zones, more than 100 interactive recreational facilities, performances and scenic sites, as well as three hotels together providing over 1,000 rooms.

AMBITIOUS GOAL

Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, is projected to receive 400 million tourists during the next five years, earning 500 billion yuan ($77.4 billion) in tourism revenue, according an industrial development initiative for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25). By 2025, the number of museums in the city is projected to increase to 172, and local cultural businesses above designated size are estimated to reach 950.

China Daily - Xinhua