Rural tourism flourishes in quake zone

In the five years after an earthquake hit Southwest China’s Sichuan province, many residents in Li county of Aba Tibetan autonomous prefecture have embarked on the path toward wealth by opening local villages to tourists.

“Quake-hit areas were given preferential policies for development during the post-quake reconstruction period. They encouraged me to start my own business,” Wang Cheng said. Wang, 30, established a countryside resort along the 317 national highway in Li county. Visitors to his resort can get accommodations, enjoy sightseeing and pick up fresh fruits.

“The resort saw a surge in visitors in recent days, and its daily sales volume rose to more than 20,000 yuan,” Wang said. Just during Qingming Festival on April 4-6 and Labor Day Holidays on April 29-May 1, his resort made a profit of about 200,000 yuan ($32,560), Wang estimated.

According to officials from the tourism department in Li county, a total of 577 households are engaged in tourism-related businesses, including 184 operating restaurants in the countryside. The county received more than 1.5 million visitors in 2012, with its annual tourism revenue topping 1.24 billion yuan ($202 million), an 82.7 percent increase year-on-year.