Shanxi launches three-year enhancement plan for tourist highways

Starting this year, North China's Shanxi province will embark on a three-year initiative to enhance and optimize the areas along its three No 1 tourist highways, aiming to transform them into scenic routes, cultural tourism corridors, rural vitalization belts, and prosperity development lines.

To improve tourism services, the plan includes establishing service stations and campsites and installing charging stations, 5G bases, and fuel stations. A comprehensive signage system will be established to provide clear directions and information for tourists.

The initiative also focuses on enhancing rural living environments. Villages along the tourist highways will be prioritized for development into model and upgraded villages, with comprehensive environmental clean-ups to create eco-friendly and culturally rich living spaces.

The plan will develop renowned tourist counties and key rural towns and villages to elevate tourism products. It will foster intangible cultural heritage tourism experience sites and districts while strengthening the protection and utilization of cultural relics along the highways.

It also encourages the creation of gourmet and specialty streets, supports the development of new business hotels and boutique inns, and promotes collaborations between cultural and creative enterprises and major scenic spots to build the "Shanxi Gifts" brand.

The initiative supports the growth of specialty agricultural industries, encourages homeowners to repurpose idle houses for rural tourism, and aims to establish key counties for leisure agriculture and beautiful villages.