According to Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Cooperation Forum that opened Thursday, tourism industry has become an important role in Chinese national economy.

China has become Asia's largest supplier of tourist sources and the fourth largest tourist destination.

Liu Jinping, deputy president of China Tourism Association said, "As international cooperation expanding, 137 countries and regions have been popular tour destinations for Chinese citizens. And China is joining the world tourism market at a higher level. With the support of the central government and other cooperative parties, tourist cooperation along Pan-Beibu Gulf is offering great opportunity."

In the past four years, Pan-Beibu Gulf region has completed the tourism development planning. The construction of tourism union and barrier-free region began to take shape, with the establishment of information platform, elite tour and brand image. Pan-Beibu Gulf has correlated the tourism industry with its economy development.

Cooperated with Pan-Pearl River Delta, Greater Mekong Sub-region and Vietnam, tourism industry in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China will have bright prospects when China-ASEAN free trade area is completed in 2010.

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