As Southwest China's SichuanProvince
continues to recover from last month’s earthquake, it has officially reopened part
of the region to tourism. The reopened cities and sole prefecture include Zigong, Panzhihua, Luzhou,
Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Nanchong, Yibin, Guang'an, Dazhou, Meishan and
Ziyang, and the Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture. Chengdu,
the capital of SichuanProvince, had several
major attractions damaged in the quake and is now partially reopened to
tourists.
Getting tourists back to the region is essential for a full
recovery. In 2007, tourism accounted for 11.6 percent of the province’s gross
domestic product, and the tourism industry employed 400,000 people. Officials
are predicting a full recovery for the area by 2010. In a bid to pump up
business, visitors can expect such perks as free admission to tourist sites,
expanded air service and bargains on hotels and transportation.
