The World Tourism Organization is working with the local Guilin government to build the city into a top quality travel destination.

The World Tourism Organization will offer special support to the Guilin Institute of Tourism, an institution of higher learning specializing in hospitality service. The parties have also reached a consensus on holding a Mekong sub-regional tourism summit in Guilin next year.

Guilin major Zhang Xiulong recently led a seven member delegation composed of high-level officials from the Municipal Government of Guilin, the Foreign Affairs Office, Guilin Institute of Tourism and Guilin Municipal Tourism Administration on an official visit to Madrid to showcase the major attractions of Guilin. About 30 representatives of Madrid's travel and tourism trade made up of tour operators, airline representatives, associations of travel writers, travel journalists, officials from Madrid City Council, Casa Asia and the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Tourism attended the delivery of the audio-visual presentation made by the Guilin delegation.

Last year, Guilin attracted approximately one million overseas visitors and ten million domestic tourists. With tourism being one of the most important pillars of its economy, Guilin has contributed significantly to China's current tourism boom. It is a well-developed tourist destination boasting good quality infrastructure as well as transportation, communication and accommodation facilities.

Guilin last year became UNWTO's first observatory for sustainable tourism development in China.