Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and four other provinces in northwest China have reached an agreement to share and jointly develop the tourism market, an official said on Tuesday.

"Scenic spots in any province or region will be open to all the travel agencies in the area," said Qin Binming, head of the Tourism Department of Xinjiang.

The agreement also allows a tourist to complain about tourism services in other provinces, while tourism authorities in the area will jointly handle complaints.

The four provinces and Xinjiang cover one third of the country's total area. They share similar scenery and culture and attract a total of more than 80 million tourists annually.

Source: Xinhua