The top three winners of the Miss Tourism 2014 China [Photo by Sheng Jundong/dahe.cn]

The Nanyang competition area of the Miss Tourism 2015 World was officially launched on Aug 6, the Dahe Net reported.

The competition of the Nanyang area was sponsored by Henan Nandu Culture & Media Co., with the authorization from the organizing committee of Henan competition area.

The Nanyang area is divided into three general participation contests, two quarter finals, one semi-final and one final competition. The first general contest will be held on Aug 19. Three most outstanding contestants will directly qualify for the Henan competition area final.

The awards categories include one winner, two runner-ups, three third-place winners, top 10 contestants and some individual awards such as the "Best Image Award", the "Best Popularity Award", the "Best Costumes Award", the "Outstanding Talent Award" and the "Best Photogenic Award".

According to Bo Jianhui, executive director of the organizing committee, single female candidates aged 16 to 28 and taller than 165 cm can apply for the competition. All the participants and winners are guaranteed to receive some gifts and awards.

The Miss Tourism World is an international beauty contest and regarded as one of the top three authoritative and influential competitions of its kind. First started in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1993, the competition has so far been held 21 times.

With a motto "Tourism through Beauty", it aims to promote tourism globally, enhance cultural exchanges and strengthen good relations between countries. The competition covers more than 100 countries in five continents and is eagerly followed by millions of people all across the world.

Nanyang area competition will help promote city's tourism resources and profound culture to the rest of the world and invigorate tourism-related economic growth.

Participants of previous Miss Tourism World in a group photo by the seaside. [Photo by Sheng Jundong/dahe.cn]

Participants wear traditional Chinese cheongsam (qipao) in the previous Miss Tourism World contest. [Photo by Sheng Jundong/dahe.cn]

The firework show of the previous Miss Tourism World [Photo by Sheng Jundong/dahe.cn]

Edited by Mevlut Katik