Focus on quality growth

Tourism will become the fourth pillar industry of Jilin province, according to officials at a provincial tourism working conference held in February.

The province plans to focus on the development of ice and snow tourism in winter and cooling travel in summer by launching more big projects, promoting industrial integration and improving the environment.

Yang Andi, director of the Jilin Tourism Development Commission, said at the conference that the number of tourists in 2016 reached 165.79 million, up 17.3 percent year-on-year. She expects the figure to grow by a further 15 percent to 190 million in 2017.

The province's total tourism income in 2016 was about 289.7 billion yuan, a 25.15 percent rise year-on-year. The commission expects that the number to reach 347.7 billion yuan in 2017, with a growth rate of 20 percent.

The currently quickening pace of tourism will slow down in 2017 though, Yang said.

"We are not chasing blind growth, but paying more attention to improvements and the quality and healthy development of the industry," she said.

Tourists take photos of a frozen Bailong waterfall at Shiwudaogou in Baishan county, Jilin. [Ding Lianguo / For China Daily]

Northeast China has its own advantage, although it is not developing as quickly as coastal cities.

Wei Xiao'an, director of the World Tourism Cities Federation, said: "China has rich ice and snow resources, but only a few cities are able to form an industrial cluster of ice and snow products. The landscape and temperature of Jilin province are suitable to develop the ice and snow industry and related tourism projects have sprung up."

Wei said Jilin should develop its ice and snow industry with compound modes - sightseeing brings popularity, leisure travel brings income and cultural tourism brings fame.

"The ice is cold, but the service should be warm to make tourists feel at home," he added.

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(China Daily 03/14/2017 page18)