China's achievements in poverty alleviation and rural revitalization have set examples for the rest of the world, with rural tourism playing a key role in transforming impoverished villages into thriving tourist destinations through agriculture-tourism integration, said UN Tourism Executive Director Liu Shijun.
The country now boasts a total of 19 "Best Tourism Villages" as recognized by the UN Tourism agency. These rural areas have become thriving economic hubs.
In a recent interview with China Global Network Television (CGTN), Liu said that China's tourism villages are showing the world how to defeat poverty and achieve rural revitalization.
"China really has a lot to share. Countries just starting out in tourism, as well as developing nations, can learn a lot from China - and even developed countries can, too. Take the 'Best Tourism Villages.' China has 19 of them. They serve as global examples of poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. No matter the size or development level of your country, there is something valuable you can learn. If you're looking for a roadmap on how to do it, the blueprint is right there," Liu said.
"This all comes down to China’s ongoing efforts to fight poverty and boost rural areas. As we know, over the past decade or so, the Chinese government has lifted nearly 100 million people out of poverty. So, we have some fantastic case studies, like the Azheke Project in Yunnan and the sites in Anji. Beyond just enjoying the event, they were able to use their own eyes to see the real changes happening in rural China. We have already passed the stage of basic poverty alleviation. We have entered the era of rural revitalization. Now, it's about how to build on that success and keep moving forward," he said.
UN Tourism's continuous recognition of China's rural destinations attests to the exemplary work of China's rural tourism industry and to global acclaim for the drastic changes taking place in rural China.
China's poverty alleviation experience through rural tourism sets example for world
