LAUNCH OF “2015 – YEAR OF SILK ROAD TOURISM”
     
On January 8, insiders of the tourism industry and representative tourists at home and abroad gathered at the Daming Palace National Heritage Park in Xian, Shaanxi Province to witness the launch of the Beautiful China – 2015 Year of Silk Road Tourism campaign. CNTA Vice Chairman Du Jiang and Deputy Governor of Shaanxi BaiAying addressed the opening ceremony.
     
Vice Chairman Du pointed out that its special significance for CNTA to designate the year of 2015 as the Year of Silk Road Tourism. The campaign is a major step taken by the tourism industry to implement the “One Belt, One Road” strategy, presents golden opportunities to promote the integrated tourism development along the Silk Road in China, and is a major means to deepen tourism cooperation between countries along the Silk Road and to promote inbound tourism. Let’s join hands, make innovative explorations, provide more diversified products and better services to tourists at home and abroad and contribute more to the new development of the Ancient Silk Road.
     
same creator, Sanrio. The new “Hello Kitty Park” is also the largest Hello Kitty theme park in Asia The $215 million project is the first Hello Kitty theme park outside of the cartoon's native Japan and is expected to atrract uo to one million visitors per year.

 
It’s said that the slogan of the campaign is Explore Beautiful China along the Silk Road” and “New Silk Road, New Travel Experience.” The launch ceremony presented the cultural, historical and tourist resources of “One Belt, One Road” under the themes of “Light of Silk Road”, “Dream of Silk Road” and “Journey of Silk Road.” The opening ceremony attracted nearly 400 guests including representatives from consulates-general of the Republic of Korea and Thailand in Xi’an, from foreign travel agencies in China, from tourism authorities of the provinces/regions/municipalities and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, from tourist enterprises and from press and other
 
 

NEW EXCITING ATTRACTIONS OPENING IN 2015
 
From the world's largest archaeology museum to its biggest eco-park, 2015 is gearing up to be a whopper of a year for global tourists in search of the next big thing. Here are few of the newest attractions opening 2015 in China.
   
 
Hello Kitty Park
 
(Zhejiang Province, China)
   
 
Opening date: January, 2015
   
 
This joint venture between Japan's Sanrio Corporation and China's Zhejiang New Insight Leisure Tourism Development opened to Hello Kitty's adoring fans on New Year's Day.
The Theme Park, which covers an area of 150 acres, is divided into six zones that feature Hello Kitty and 40 of the best-loved cartoon characters by the
 
 
 

 
same creator, Sanrio. The new "Hello Kitty Park" is also the largest Hello Kitty theme park in Asia.
The $215 million project is the first Hello Kitty theme park outside of the cartoon's native Japan and is expected to attract up to one million visitors per year.
 
Hello Kitty Park, 1 Tianshi Ave., Anji County, Zhejiang Province
 
Eternity Passage
  
(Beijing, China)
Opening date: January, 2015
 
Eternity Passage claims it will be China's first hi-tech amusement park, weaving Chinese history with "technological fantasy" across two large zones (one indoor and the other open air).

The theme park is currently under construction just outside of the Chinese capital, on the route to the Great Wall, and will be part of Beijing Outlets World, a complex with outlet shopping, resort hotels and a conference center.


 
GUIYANG TO GUANGZHOU HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY LINKS TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
 
 
A new high-speed railway opened in December, linking the city of Guitang in southwest China’s Guizhou province to Guangzhou in Guangdong province. The Guiyan-Guangzhou high-speed railway traverses through these south and southwestern areas of China, making it easier for visitors to visit cultural and natural attractions along the way.

The vast Longli grassland and terraced rice fields, Guangxi’s Guilin City, the Sanshui lotus world in Foshan, tea gardens, the Seven Star Crags
     

in Zhaoxing, and the famous Huangguoshu Waterfall – the biggest waterfall in China – are all accessible in the regions served by the new railway route.

In addition to the major stations at Guiayng, Guilin, and Guangzhou, there are five additional smaller stations in the ethnic regions of Guizhou and Guangxi. These eight entry points will enable travellers even more convenience in visiting these mountainous regions and experiencing authentic Miao, Dong and Buyi cultures.

  

 
CHENGDU TO GET SECOND AIRPORT
 
 
Chengdu is the capital of China's Sichuan province and the largest city in the southwest China. It is already home to Shuangliu International Airport, the fifth busiest airport in China, and plans have just been approved for a second airport to meet the growing demand for travel to the area.

The $11.2 billion project will include three runways capable of handling
     

 
40 million passengers. It is slated to be completed in 2025.
The new Chengdu airport will mark China’s second major airport investment in less than a year, following the new international airport in development in Beijing.

Demand for travel in and out of China continues to grow rapidly, with Chinese airports handling more than 754 million passengers in 2013
  
     

CHINA TO LAUNCH TAX-FREE SHOPPING FOR VISITORS
 
 
Incredible news for tourists to China: visitors will soon be able to shop duty-free throughout the country. China’s Ministry of Finance confirmed that tourist can claim tax refunds on purchases of 500 yuan or more that they make throughout China. Visitors will be refunded the 11 percent tax on goods that cost approximately USD81 or more at one store in one day, provided they leave the country within 90 days after the purchase of the goods.

The refund would be available on products such as clothing, watches, jewelry, electronics and more. The tax refund is hoped to be an incentive to foreign tourists to China to boost spending on well-known brands and to make visiting and shopping in the destination more enticing.
     


CHINA TO MODERNIZE TOILETS FOR TOURISTS
 
     

In an effort to step up its tourism game, China has launched a 'toilet revolution' that will do away with traditional squat-style loos and see the installation of tens of thousands of sparkling new toilets around the country.

Over the next three years, China's national tourism office said it will install 33,500 new loos at tourists' sites across the country.

The government also plans to renovate 25,000 restrooms currently in operation. By 2017, tourists can expect to do their business in modernized "three-star" bathrooms, says the tourism office.

Currently, traditional public restrooms across China are squat toilets -- or put simply, holes in the ground -- and BYOTP, 'Bring Your Own Toilet Paper.

According to the World Toilet Summit, an international event committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide, clean restrooms are one of the keys to boosting tourism.