Jingdezhen gains benefits from tourism

By Zhao Qian ( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2012-03-26

Since 2011, Jingdezhen, the porcelain capital of China, has been gaining benefits from its tourism industry.

The city proposed that it make efforts to develop its aviation, porcelain and tourism industries based on its economic structure and resources. The government and tourism departments have begun to pay more attention to tourism in Jingdezhen.

In 2011, Leping city of Jingdezhen invested 10 million yuan in sightseeing projects. Fuliang county added another 1 million yuan to be used in tourism marketing. The Changjiang district also established a tourism development fund and made the decision to accelerate the development of their tourism industry. A cultural tourism company was founded in the Zhushan district to produce and manage old city traditional products.

The number of visitors from home and abroad who visited Jingdezhen in 2011 exceeded 16 million, ranking second in Jiangxi province. The amount of foreign visitors reached 234,700, a year-on-year increase of 20.42 percent. The city earned $80.54 million in foreign exchange, up 24.22 percent compared to the past year.

In October of 2011, a porcelain and tourism summit forum was co-held by the municipal government, China Tourism newspaper and Jiangxi Tourism Administration. On Nov 30, 2011, the city hosted an ancient kiln and folk customs expo, marking the beginning of their plan to build national 5A rating scenic spots in Jingdezhen.

The year of 2011 also saw the start and construction of a series of projects. The tourism industry attracted 21 projects with an investment of 789 million yuan.

The 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) period is key and important for Jingdezhen's rapid development of tourism. Planning has been worked out to lay a solid foundation for the city's sustained development.