Beijing unveils plan to drive high-quality tourism growth

Beijing unveiled its plan to drive high-quality growth in the tourism industry during a conference on Thursday, aiming to build the capital into a world-class tourism city and a global tourist destination by 2029.

According to the plan, the added value of Beijing's tourism industry will account for more than 5 percent of the city's GDP.

The total number of tourists is expected to grow by more than 2 percent annually, while overall tourism revenue is expected to increase by around 4 percent per year. Additionally, inbound tourist numbers are anticipated to rise by about 5 percent annually.

Yang Shuo, director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, said during the conference that the capital is committed to promoting high-quality tourism development in various aspects to achieve its goal of becoming a top international tourism city.

"We will establish a balanced and orderly spatial layout for tourists across the entire city and develop vibrant characteristic regions in alignment with the resources of each district," he said.

Further, the bureau has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with major banks — Bank of China, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China and China Construction Bank — as well as with Bank of Beijing, to provide a total of 150 billion yuan ($21 billion) in financing and credit support for tourism enterprises over the next five years.

According to the bureau, in the first three quarters of this year Beijing welcomed a total of 280 million tourists, generating tourism revenue of 504 billion yuan, a historical high.