Recently, the People’s Government of Yunnan Province issued a plan to accelerate the province’s construction of modern industrial system. 

Over the next 15 years, Yunnan is expected be turned into a hub for 13 different industries with each generating trillions of yuan annually. Tourism and its associated services are one of the trillion-yuan industries under this plan.

According to the plan, Yunnan will be concentrating on the integration of culture and tourism, further upgrading its tourist industry through the means of technologies and marketization. 

The provincial government expects that the total output of tourism in Yunnan will hit 2 trillion yuan in 2025. This figure is expected to reach 3.5 trillion in 2030 while tourist industry accounts for 10% of province’s GDP. And in 2035 which is 15 years from now on, Yunnan will be transformed into a leading tourist destination not only in China but worldwide.

“We determine to make Yunnan’s tourism into a great industry that can create trillions of yuan every year,” says Sun Jiong, the deputy director of Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. “Yunnan will become an world-class destination for tourism, leisure, sports as well as study tour.” 

Sun also stresses the significance of integration and innovation in the upgrade of tourist industry in Yunnan.  

As the plan describes, Yunnan will continue to employ the strategy of holistic tourism, encouraging cross-border tourist cooperation and creating new travel destinations such as the Great West Tourism Ring Road and tourist belts on Yunnan’s border areas.

A new mode of tourism which is created by and beneficial to all prefectures and cities in certain areas, therefore, is expected to be turned into reality.

In addition, as it plans to become a key tourist hub which attracts visitors from not only China but south and southeast Asian countries, Yunnan will deepen its communication and cooperation with neighboring countries, promoting its new travel routes and scenic areas abroad in hope of further energizing the tourist market of the province.

Trans-editing by Wang Jingzhong