China Tourism Academy’s head Dai Bin delivers a speech. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Last year, overseas tourist visits to China reached 139 million, representing an increase of 0.8 percent over 2016, while 5 billion domestic tourists enjoyed the nation’s attractions.

Luo Shugang, minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, said in his speech that over the past four decades, China has experienced great development of its tourism, which plays a more and more important role in the economic development of society.

He said the tourism industry has become a road to prosperity for farmers and helps rejuvenate the economy in rural areas.

China Tourism Academy’s head, Dai Bin, said it’s essential to boost the innovation of academic theories and research about tourism, and train more talents for the industry. A supervisory mechanism is also needed to ensure tourists’ rights and enhance their travel experience.