“中美旅游年”拉开帷幕

The two countries will officially kick off the Tourism Year with an opening ceremony in Beijing in the coming week.

Later on next month, a group of 1,000 American tourists will experience first-hand what China has to offer, by climbing the Great Wall together.

A number of tourism events related to the Maritime Silk Road are also scheduled to take place in the US.

Wu Xi, Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister at the Chinese Embassy, says tourism plays a key role in boosting cultural exchanges between the two countries.

"We believe that the events will allow more people to appreciate the natural beauty, delicious foods and histories in each other's countries. People-to-people friendships will enhance mutual understanding and trust, while creating a solid foundation for a new type of major country relationship."

Wu says development in tourism has also reflected the close cooperation between the two countries in trade and commerce.

The US Department of Commerce says tourism is the country's largest service export sector, generating billions of dollars in revenue and supporting over 1 million US jobs.

An estimated 2 million Americans have visited China annually in recent years, while 2.5 million Chinese travelled to the US in 2015.

The US provides the 3rd largest group of foreign visitors to China, while the Chinese make up the fourth largest group to visit the US.

Minister Wu said the Chinese Embassy in the US will lend its full support in the Tourism Year and beyond.

"The Chinese Embassy and consulates in the U.S. will cooperate with the China National Tourism Administration to organize the upcoming activities and enhance China-U.S. tourism cooperation. At the same time, we will provide better consular services and protection for Chinese travelers in the United States."

The China-US Tourism Year was announced during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the US last year.

The United States and China have implemented a reciprocal visa extension policy, offering 10-year tourist and business travel visas and 5-year student visas.