Beijing receives 297 million tourists in 2017

BEIJING - Beijing received over 297 million tourists from home and abroad in 2017, up 4.3 percent compared with the previous year, municipal tourism authorities announced Wednesday. 
Tourism revenue during the year reached 546.9 billion yuan (86.4 billion U.S. dollars), with a year-on-year increase of 8.9 percent. 
Beijing launched 171 new rural tourism programs, and built 222 kilometers of walking trails in 2017, said Song Yu, head of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development. 
The capital city has also developed tourist routes for foreign visitors related to traditional Chinese medicine as well as museums and cultural relics, Song said. 
Beijing has set a goal to increase total tourism revenue by 7 percent this year. Meanwhile, the city is planning to further promote one-day tours, improve the 144-hour visa-free entry policy, and offer tax refunds to attract more foreign visitors, the commission said.