Xinjiang's tourism revenue up 17 pct in Jan-Oct

URUMQI, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region received 170 million tourists from January to October this year, with its tourism revenue hitting 129.4 billion yuan (about 20.4 billion U.S. dollars) during the period.

The revenue from tourism increased 16.8 percent year on year in the period, according to the regional culture and tourism department.

During this period, a total of 127 government-funded cultural and tourism infrastructure projects were carried out, with a total investment of approximately 9.7 billion yuan.

"Abundant high-quality tourism products and the vigorous development of new businesses, such as homestays, have effectively promoted tourism consumption," said Liu Quan, deputy head of the regional culture and tourism department.

This year, Xinjiang's tourism industry has seen new features and trends. Several cultural-themed homestays, accommodations offering a view of the starry sky, campsites for self-drive tourism, as well as various tourism performances and intangible heritage markets have gained popularity among tourists, Liu added.

In order to enrich winter tourism, nearly 1,500 cultural, sports and tourism-related activities will be held in Xinjiang this year, according to the regional culture and tourism department.