Country to promote small cities as magnets for tourists

　　Chinese tourists receive souvenirs from airport officers as part of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand, Feb 5, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

　　As the annual sessions of the top legislative body and political advisory body continue, China Daily collected questions on issues that netizens care most about and solicited answers from political advisers, legislators and senior government officials.

　　The question

　　What are the plans for improving China's future as a tourist destination?

　　A netizen who goes by the name "Kate"

　　The answer

　　More than 137 million overseas tourists are expected to visit China this year, up 2.5 percent from last year.

　　The responder:Li Shihong, deputy head of the China National Tourism Administration

　　Second-and third-tier cities and small towns will play a leading role in attracting overseas tourists in the coming years. We already have successful cases such as Lijiang in Yunnan province.

　　The Lijiang culture, which features the ancient music of the Naxi ethnic group and the ethnic culture of the Dongba, Mosuo and Yi people, has grown more and more popular among tourists from overseas.

　　I think small cities such as Wuzhen in Zhejiang province, Yueyang in Hunan province and Tongli in Jiangsu province also have opportunities to be the next Lijiang.

　　Compared with modern cities, second-and third-tier cities and small towns have unique cultural symbols and beautiful landscapes and have preserved their history better. All these are attractive factors for visitors to China.

　　Besides, the high-speed railway network has connected small towns and made them more accessible than ever before. It is a great time for them to develop their inbound tourism industry.

　　At the same time, we will also re-introduce famous China tourism brands to overseas audiences with 60 classic travel routes including the Silk Road, the Great Wall and the lower reaches of the Yangze River.