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China's 1st National Tourism Day to start

By Ji Fan (China Daily Anhui Bureau)
Updated: 2011-05-17 13:15

As the first "China Tourism Day" to fall on May 19 this year, Anhui province has launched a series of activities to promote the day with its own theme of "Follow the Trail of Xu Xiake, Enjoy the Beauty of Anhui".

At a press conference held on May 16 in Hefei, the provincial capital, deputy director Zhang Yueping of Anhui Provincial Tourism Administration noted that to promote the grand gala, many public museums, memorial halls, patriotic education bases and stadiums will open to the public free of charge that day, while tickets for many scenic spots and hotels will be free or discounted.

She stressed that Anhui now has 358 A-level scenic spots, including 94 National AAAA, and 3 AAAAA class spots.

The related publicity activities of the National Tourism Day will not only meet the needs of citizens, but also promote the tourism of Anhui and boom tourist market, she said, adding that it will definitely be beneficial to the reputation and influence of Anhui's tourism and the construction for Anhui to become a strong tourism province.

Authorized by the State Council in 2011, May 19 was chosen after a poll partaken by nearly one million Internet users. It is said that May 19 is the day that Xu Xiake, famous writer and traveler, started to write the well-known book Travel Notes of Xu Xiake, which charted his 30 years of travels throughout the country.

The press conference was chaired by Zheng Mingwu, deputy director of Anhui Provincial Information Office.