A growing number of tourists are going to northwestern China, attracted by the rich and ancient cultures of the region as local officials find ways to finance the expansion of the budding tourism industry, the China Daily reported.
According to the report, interest in the region was spurred by the new Silk Road economic belt which made some local events popular and called tourists' attention.
Tianshui, home to several of Gansu's key antiquities, is a popular destination for tourists, and officials are already working hard to finance the expansion of its growing tourism industry.
Wang Zhengmao, head of the local government's tourism department, said that they have allocated 10 million yuan ($1.57 million) for the creation of a new funding joint venture with Gansu Cultural Industry Development Group Co. Ltd. (GCIDG) for the development of Tianshui's tourism resources.
"The cultural sector has been facing financial difficulties for a while, especially among small enterprises involved in the industry," Wang said.
"We are building this platform to solve those issues, making sure that companies can have access to the capital they need, as well as the abundant historical resources they already have at their disposal," Wang added.
Private investors are welcome to invest in the Tianshui venture, as well as state-owned enterprises such as GCIDG, the tourism head said.
The report added that 200 million yuan has been earmarked for infrastructure improvements in Tianshui and Dunhuan, a city well-known for its Mogao Cave, while 500 million yuan has been allocated to tourist facilities in Zhangye.
Zhang Yang, an experienced Beijing travel sales manager, noted that tourists previously favor China's more developed eastern and southern provinces than the western regions. But growing interest in the Silk Road concept called tourist attention to the west, lured by the mystery and history of the ancient trade routes.
"The western areas are still facing fierce competition from tours to Southeast Asia, where prices are falling," Zhang said. "But after getting to read about the Silk Road, travelers are becoming more adventurous, even looking as far as places like Turkey, because of their Silk Road connections."
"The priority of the local governments in these areas, however, has to be to invest more in improving both their facilities and infrastructure," Zhang said.