China to encourage development of tourism industry in its northeastern region

BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and National Development and Reform Commission have jointly issued a plan laying out tasks and requirements for the development of the tourism industry in the country's northeastern region until 2030.

The plan, covering the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, as well as part of the northern Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has set goals to improve air and railway services and build a mature highway network for the development of the tourism industry in the region.

It calls for measures to promote snow and ice tourism in the areas, build them into ideal destinations for summer holidays and self-driving tours, and develop tourism industry clusters featuring snow and ice, forests, and the sea and coasts.

The plan also encourages the development of border tours. It suggests the establishment of a mechanism for tourism cooperation in Northeast Asia, and the exploration of the potential of cross-border tourism in the region.