Regions across China advance construction of tourist highways

The construction and upgrading of tourist highways have attracted greater attention in China in recent years, thanks to more frequent travels and the popularity of self-driving tours.

Recently, the Xin'an section of the tourist highway along the Yellow River that connects several scenic areas in Luoyang city, central China's Henan Province has become a new signature of the city's tourism industry.

Photo shows the picturesque scenery of a road around the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province. (Photo/Zhang Hongke)

A round-the-island tourist highway in south China's Hainan Province links 12 cities and counties and seamlessly integrates the stunning coastal scenery with regional tourism products. The tourist highway, stretching nearly 1,000 kilometers, opened to traffic in December 2023.

Since the opening of the scenic highway around the tropical island, several places along the way have become popular photo spots. Sightseeing buses provide tourists a new option of visiting the island. Visitors can also drive or ride a bike along the highway to immerse themselves in the island's allure.

New tourism products and business models have also emerged along the tourist highway, which showcase the new vitality of Hainan's tourism industry.

Tourist highways contribute to the development of their surrounding areas. For instance, B&B hotel clusters, campsites, and tourism aviation bases have been built along the Xin'an section of the tourist highway along the Yellow River, and have helped 55,000 people nearby better develop eco-tourism.

The tourist highway along the Yellow River has brought prosperity to people living along the river in Shilou county, north China's Shanxi Province.

Boasting rolling mountains and distinctive cave dwellings, the county is rich in Yellow River culture, ancient bronze culture, and red culture. However, poor transportation in the past had hindered its development.

The Shilou section of the tourist highway along the Yellow River has changed the situation. It connects towns along the Yellow River in the county, which has linked various cultural relics, ancient sites and 18 scenic spots.

Photo shows the picturesque scenery of rapeseed flowers in Wuxing village, Baitou township, Chongzhou city, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Photo/Ai Jiaxian)

Consequently, villages there have received more tourists, and quality local farm produce and specialties like red dates, walnuts, honey, and sweet potatoes have reached broader markets. Some villages have turned themselves into beautiful ones that integrate tourism, leisure, folk culture, and a farming experience, enabling an increasing number of villagers to enjoy the benefits of the tourism sector.

China's Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism jointly issued a five-year action plan to promote the high-quality development of tourist highways (2023-2027). The plan has called for enhancing the construction quality of tourist highways, upgrading services, improving the highway environment, encouraging innovative integration of tourism highways with other industries, and strengthening technical support. It has also called on provincial-level regions to build tourist highway brands that embody local culture and highlight unique regional characteristics.

Southwest China's Sichuan Province had recently launched a renovation program to turn ordinary roads into tourist-oriented ones. The province's ordinary national, provincial, and rural roads stretching over 400,000 kilometers form an important foundation of the renovation program.

Over the past years, southwest China's Guizhou Province has built several tourist highways, promoting the further integration of transport and tourism.