Four cities authorized best tourist destinations in China ( 2003-12-01 15:13) (People's Daily) Pan Jianmin, deputy mayor of
Guilin in charge of tourism industry said on November 28 that after the
inspection of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and
Guilin, the four cities have become the first batch of the best tourist
destinations China highly recommends to the world.
The four best tourist cities have their own special features. Beijing is a
historical city as China's capital, enjoying an exclusive and an irreplaceable
position. Shanghai is an international metropolis and financial center in the
orient. Xi'an is a capital city in China's ancient times most well-known for its
terracotta warriors and horses in the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of the Qin
Dynasty while Guilin stands out for its landscape beauty and folklore with the
Lijiang River as its representative, the only medium-sized city in the list.
The World Tourism Organization (WTO) began the inspection and study on
China's key tourist cities from the year 2002 and mapped out with Chinese
departments concerned a "Criterion of Best Tourist Cities" in the first half of
this year. Strict requirements are set in the criterion on the tourist
resources, humane and cultural resources and environmental protection in the key
cities and also with higher standards set on their hosting capabilities and
services for tourists.
According to Pan Jianmin, the "Guilin Proposal" which is to be approved by at
the Seminar on Tourism Partnerships in Destination Development and Management on
December 3, has been revised through discussions among experts as "Common Views
of Guilin" in which it is to formulate a more scientific and more rational
concepts in common as regards the best tourist destinations, the operation and
regional cooperation.
|