A village where success is on the menu

Leading role of tourism

Zhuangzimao is a slice of the robust rural tourism development across Gansu in 2024, as shown by the province's rural tourism development index unveiled in Beijing in mid-March.

According to the data, Gansu's rural tourism sector welcomed 176 million visitors last year, a year-on-year increase of 15.07 percent. It generated 55.3 billion yuan in tourism revenue, up 14.78 percent from the previous year.

The data was jointly launched by the culture and tourism department in Gansu and China Economic Information Service, a subsidiary under the Xinhua News Agency.

He Xiaozu, director of Gansu's culture and tourism department, emphasizes that over the past five years, Gansu has prioritized rural tourism as a key driver for poverty alleviation and rural vitalization. The province aims to establish itself as a renowned rural tourism destination in western China.

"Rural tourism has become the backbone of Gansu's hospitality industry, accounting for half of its success," He says, highlighting the province's remarkable achievements in rural vitalization through tourism.

By the end of 2023, the province had established 21 rural tourism demonstration counties, 200 model villages for cultural and tourism-driven rural vitalization, and 530 rural tourism cooperatives.

Additionally, 44 villages and six towns were recognized by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as major national rural tourism destinations, He says.