Overseas tourists flock to mountain
(China Daily)Updated: 2006-11-24 08:42 Excellent management has turned Yuntai Mountain in Central China's Henan Province from an unknown scenic spot into a famous world geopark, greatly promoting local economic development.
Located in Xiuwu County in Jiaozuo, to the north of the Yellow River crossing the province, Yuntai Mountain was an ordinary scenic spot without many visitors five years ago.
In 2001, the mountain received only 200,000 visitors, with a ticket income of 4 million yuan (US$500,000). Most of the tourists came from the province.
Today, the mountain has become a famous tourist attraction both in China and the world.
In 2005, more than 1.7 million tourists visited the mountain, bringing a ticket income of 103 million yuan (US$13 million).
Visitors come from all parts of the country, with 90 per cent from outside Henan Province.
The number of overseas tourists, especially from Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States and the European Union, has increased substantially.
In the first 10 months of this year, the number of tourists to the mountain reached 1.99 million, an increase of 31.7 per cent from the same period last year.
Among them, the number of overseas tourists has surprisingly increased by 182 per cent.
Ticket income has also increased by 31.3 per cent from the same period last year, reaching 130 million yuan (US$16.25 million).
Boosting economy
The development of the scenic spot has greatly promoted the development of the local economy.
By the end of 2005, Xiuwu County had 331 hotels and restaurants, 9.2 times more than the number in 2000.
Tourism has become an important pillar industry for the county.
In 2005, the county had a tourism income of 540 million yuan (US$67.5
million), contributing 12 per cent of the gross domestic product.
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