By Yuling Chen, iChongqing News

Chongqing- Chongqing Municipal Culture and Tourism Work Conference opened in downtown Chongqing, China, January 24, 2019. According to the work conference, Chongqing strives to build an upgraded version of its tourism development and turn itself into a world-famous tourist destination and a strong cultural city in 2020.

View of Yuzhong Penisula along Jialing River

In order to achieve these goals, the municipality has picked up five cards in its tourism features, namely, the Three Gorges, downtown, arts & culture, hot spring, and county.

A tourist destination with three featured areas

In 2019, Chongqing is to play well the above-mentioned five cards along with three featured areas of the greater metropolis, Three Gorges and Wuling, including their surrounding areas.

Data shows that visitors for the boutique urban tourism featuring “downtown”, the mountain city, accounted for more than 50% of the city's tourist arrivals. Moreover, the annual number of tourist to the Hongyan Scenic Area exceeded 10 million.

“Priorities for Chongqing's cultural tourism remain to build the band of 'a land of natural beauty, a city with cultural appeal' and work hard on the boutique by taping new potential, activating new elements and aggregating new kinetic energy,” said a source from the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development.

The municipal tourism revenue to increase by 30% 

In general, Chongqing tourism revenue aims to increase by  30% year on year. Moreover, Chongqing sets the target of an annual growth rate of 7% for the added value of the cultural industry.

This year, Chongqing tourism will highlight four directions — opening-up, accumulation, integration, and innovation. In addition, Chongqing will establish categorized industrial project library in the sector of cultural tourism. Moreover, the city endeavors to achieve RMB 70 billion output of cultural industry. That goal will be achieved by introducing, settling and operating a series of important projects.

Chongqing is to set up a coordinated system to advance major projects in the area of cultural tourism. Furthermore, the city will carry forward relevant projects with high-quality resources, good supporting facilities, great market potential, and influence.

A world-famous tourist destination

By 2020, Chongqing will have built itself into a world-famous tourist destination.

Moreover, Chongqing tourism industry is getting better and more growth is on the way.

In addition, Chongqing will intensify promotion efforts for its cultural tourism. The city has established Chongqing International Communication Center for Culture and Tourism, and enhance cooperation and exchanges with international tourist organizations and associations, such as the Pacific Asia Travel Association and World Travel and Tourism Council.

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