The Briefing on Changsha's Tourism Work was held in Beijing recently. Shao Qiwei, head of the National Tourism Administration, attended the meeting and showed full support to the city's development of modern tourism industry.
Being the first batch of China's excellent tourism cities, Changsha boasts rich tourism resources. Last year, Changsha blazed a new trail to develop its tourism with characteristics by blending festivals, conferences, contests and events with tourism resources. Thanks to its picturesque scenery, bustling bars and karaoke clubs, and distinctive restaurants, Changsha attracted many tourists across the country. Up to now, the tourism industry has become a pillar industry of Changsha's economic and social development. There were 25 travel agencies in the city whose annual business income surpassed a hundred million yuan in 2010. Meantime, Changsha received a total of 48 million tourists at home and abroad, including 700,000 inbound tourists. The tourism revenue hit 45.8 billion yuan, ranking the seventh among provincial capitals of China.
