Knowing All about Hunan

Red tourism programs get a new push

Editor:李莎宁
Source:红网综合
Updated:2015-06-11 11:31:59

Red tourism programs get a new push

  Self-drive group tour has become popular in China. [Photo/Agencies]

  A large-scale self-drive group tour from China to Russia will be launched on June 29.

  It will start from Hunan province's Shaoshan and proceed to Russia's Ulyanovsk.

  The two places were hometowns of Mao Zedong and Vladimir Lenin, founding revolutionary figures of their countries.

  The tour is part of a Red tourism exchange program between China and Russia.

  The China National Tourism Administration and Russian tourism authority will sign a memorandum of understanding on Red tourism cooperation for the 2015-2017 period.

  The move will help boost sustainable Red tourism development between the two countries, says Luo Dihui, deputy director of the Red tourism work coordination office.

  It will be the first time China joins hands with a foreign country in Red tourism development, says an official with the CNTA.

  Red tourism involves visiting locations with historical significance to the Chinese revolution.

  Travel agencies on both sides will jointly develop Red tourism routes, and high-speed rail for Red tourism travel will be launched, says Luo.

  "China's Red tourism has achieved significant achievements over the past decade," he says.

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  Approximately 900 million tourists visited revolutionary sites in China last year, with annual growth of more than 16 percent since 2004.

  Hunan received 372 million tourists for Red tours from 2004 to 2014, raking in 168 billion yuan ($27.1 billion), says Wang Chaoxiang, deputy director of Hunan tourism bureau.

  The Jinggangshan scenic spot, a famous site in China's revolution history, received 2.94 million foreign guests along last year, up 34.35 percent over the previous year. Tourism income hit $60.67 million, up 35.02 percent.

  Efforts have been stepped up to protect culture heritage representing the revolutionary period, Luo adds.

  Red tourism holds great potential, officials say.

  A total of 4 billion visitors from China and abroad have taken such tours over the decade.

  The international market has also rolled out Red tourism products to woo Chinese tourists.

  Russia will build a leisure zone around the Soviet Union museum, and launch a tour route that covers Ulyanovsk, Moscow and St. Petersburg.

  Germany will develop tours that highlight places visited by China’s first premier, Zhou Enlai.

  Authorities will take additional measures to boost Red tourism in the future.

  "We will showcase more Chinese Red tourism sites at international travel expos to attract foreign tourists," says Li Yaying, inspector of the national tourism administration's international department.