Society

Travel agencies sure tourists will be back to Xinjiang

By YAN JIE (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-06 08:04

A tourist looks at goods in the Erdaoqiao Market in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on June 27. [HOU YU / CHINA NEWS AGENCY]

URUMQI - A steady flow of tourists is expected in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in the second half of this year owing to discounted prices and new attractions, as worries over safety continue to recede a year after the bloody riot, industry insiders said.

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The upbeat forecast came in sharp contrast to the pessimism last year, when Xinjiang's travel industry was severely hit in the wake of the July 5 riot in the regional capital of Urumqi that left 197 people dead and scores injured.

"The number of tourists we will receive in the second half of this year will at least double the figure of last year," said Zheng Hui, general manager of the CYTS Xinjiang International Tour Co Ltd, one of the top three travel agencies by market share in Xinjiang, referring to tourist bookings with the company as of early July.

For Xinjiang's travel industry, the period between July and early October is the hot season.

In the second half of 2009, the number of tourists Zheng's company received dropped 30 percent to about 26,000 from a year earlier, he said.

The Chinese government vowed to restore social stability in Xinjiang after the riot, which contributed to the recovery of the local tourism sector.

"I feel traveling in Xinjiang is safe," said a 15-year-old tourist surnamed Xu from the eastern city of Qingdao, who visited the Grand International Bazaar in Urumqi on a guided tour over the weekend.

"In the second half of this year, the number of our clients will be the same as in the pre-riot period," said Wu Shihui, general manager of the Urumqi-based Western Regions International Travel Service Co Ltd.

Along with the restored stability, tourist destinations in Xinjiang continue to stick to cuts in ticket prices and try to add more attractions in a bid to lure visitors.

The popular scenic spot of Tianchi, or Heaven's Pool as its Chinese name means, will hold the first "Peach Festival", with an aim to boost visits in late August, said Liu Ying, a publicity officer from the management committee of Tianchi.

Discounts in ticket prices will also continue through this year, she said.

In Chinese legend, Tianchi, located in the Tianshan Mountains east of Urumqi, is the residence of the god's mother, who held an annual festival there to celebrate the harvesting of peaches.

"We are optimistic that the number of tourists will increase significantly," Liu said.