Authorities in Pingtan drew up plans to promote countryside tourism on July 31, hoping to optimize tourism capabilities over the next three years.

A cluster of folk dwellings in rural Pingtan, Fujian province. [Photo/pingtan.gov.cn]

According to the plan, Pingtan will strive to develop three tourism towns and 10 tourism villages by 2016 in a bid to cultivate its rural tourism brand.

To achieve this, Pingtan will reevaluate its land-use planning as well as explore new tourism models based on local resources.

Liushui town and the villages of Guocai, Hongwei and Shanmen are the focus of this year’s tourism development. In addition to upgrading their tourism facilities, the villages will also create tours focused on coastal leisure, local culture and Taiwan elements.

Village officials, tourism agencies and local farms will work together to launch the programs, said an employee of the local tourism bureau.

According to the plan, an ideal tourism village will combine accommodation, shopping and entertainment with a solid transportation infrastructure. It will also advocate locally grown farm goods and seafood, transform farm homes into guesthouses and host cultural festivals.

The government will roll out a variety of policies in both financing and land protection to endorse the rural tourism plan.

It will grant annual subsidies of 1 million and 300,000 yuan （$162,345） to listed tourism towns and villages respectively. These grants will go toward infrastructure upgrades, including the construction of sewage and garbage-treatment plants.

Tourism villages and towns will be given priority in the allocation of agriculture funds and will be the focus of preferential policies concerning energy conservation and green-economy development.

Rural lands in those areas – such as plains, hills and uninhabited islands – will be used for tourism programs as well.

Officials will hold training sessions for village inhabitants to improve their tourism service.

Previous Page 1 2 3 Next Page

Previous Page 1 2 3 Next Page