CRI听力: Xinjiang Tourism Recovers Slowly

The July 5th riots have dealt a blow to tourism in Xinjiang, especially in the capital Urumqi, resulting in many cancellations for tour agencies. But as order has gradually returned to Urumqi, tourism is slowly beginning to recover as travelers around the world feel it's again safe to visit the famous spots in the capital and other parts of Xinjiang. Zhangcheng has this report:

Reporter:
Tianchi Lake is some 110 kilometers east of Urumqi, or an hour and a half's drive by car from the regional capital.

However, the number of tourists to Tianchi Lake plummeted after the riots in Urumqi.

Gao Jinbao, owner of a restaurant at Tianchi Lake, says business was depressing after the riot.

"The violence has seriously impacted my business. Before the riot, over 1,000 tourists had meals in the restaurant every day. But now, the number has been reduced to 200. Many people worry about their safety and cancel their plan to visit here."

Ms. Hou is a tour guide at a local tourist agency. She took a group of 34 tourists to visit the lake today.

Like Gao Jinbo, she mentioned a slump at the agency but says business is already picking up again.

"In the past, July and August are the peak time for the lake, with nearly 10,000 people visiting here every day, while this year, due to the riot, the number of tourists has fallen. But according to the statistics in our agency, the number of tourists has gradually increased from today."

Ms. Duan, a tourist in the group, has brought her entire family to visit the lake.

"The scenery is amazing here. Because it is a rainy day today, all the mountains are embraced by a light layer of fog. It's so beautiful and like a fairyland."

When asked if she felt safe in this spot, she said:

"I don't think safety is a problem. The violence has been controlled by the police, so I feel it's safe to visit here. We visited Turpan yesterday, and will visit scenic spots in Yili. "

Besides Chinese tourists, Tianchi Lake has attracted many people from around the world. Trevor Hazel and his friends are from Canada.

"We got here maybe two weeks ago and it's very nice, this part looks like my home province of British Colombia in Canada. Same sort of trees, lake, it's very similar. It's really beautiful. I don't feel unsafe, that's for sure. Get kind of ominous feeling sometimes though. Maybe some sort of tension. But nothing, no lack of safety I think."

Scenic spots in other parts of Xinjiang have also slowly recovered from the downturn.

In Turpan, even temperatures hitting 40 degrees Celsius couldn't deter tourists.

Stefano from Italy has been impressed by the unique culture in the region.

"It's an interesting country with all these people from different ethnic group. That's the most interesting thing about this region, I found."(www.hXen.com)

To ensure the safety of tourists, the local travel department has launched a security control measure and all key scenic spots, travel agencies and hotels have made full preparations for any emergencies.

In addition, each traveler who visits Xinjiang before Aug. 31 will get a 10-yuan subsidy per day from the local government.

It is predicted that the move could attract 50,000 tourists during this period.

Zhangcheng, CRI News, Urumqi.