BEIJING - China will step up financial services to boost the development of tourism in its latest efforts to strengthen support for the real economy.

Financial institutions should create innovative financial products to facilitate the sound development of tourism, according to a guideline jointly released by the People's Bank of China and the National Tourism Administration.

In a bid to provide convenient credit services to tourism businesses, financial institutions should innovate their products and models to "reasonably" determine loan terms, the document said, adding that they should give more support to smaller travel companies and the rural tourism industry.

Loans should be prohibited or confined for tourism projects that are banned or restricted by the government, such as golf courses and theme parks, the guideline said.

The practice of using tourism projects to disguise land development should be strictly examined, the guideline said.

The guideline also encourages financial institutions to offer more financing channels to travel companies, as well as improve transaction and foreign exchange services in the sector.