Lijiang tourism shows rapid development

Tourism in Lijiang, Yunnan province has shown strong development momentum in the first half of 2012, with a growth rate far exceeding 10 percent, according to the tourism administration of Lijiang city.

Lijiang received roughly eight million tourists from home and abroad, a year-on-year increase of 55.9 percent. This includes 383,000 overseas tourists, up by 18.3 percent, and 7.7 million domestic travelers, a 58.5 percent growth from a year earlier. The total tourism revenue climbed to 10.4 billion yuan ($1.64 billion), a year-on-year increase of 56.1 percent.

Local authorities have launched a campaign to improve the tourism environment in the old town of Lijiang and have resolved 157 tourist complaints and disputes. As many as 29 travel agencies have finished their annual inspection and 889 tour guides have been reevaluated during the first half of 2012.

Edited by Zhao Qian and Michael Thai