The Silk Road winding through northwestern China has always been a major attraction to tourists from home and aboard. To emphasize its significance, this year's Dunhuang Culture and Tourism Festival concluded on Sunday (Oct 15th) with an agreement by 18 tourist cities along this ancient trade route on co-operation and the future development of regional tourism.

According to the "Joint Pronouncement on Regional Tourism Development along the Silk Road," the 18 cities will strengthen mutual communication and exchanges and make cooperative efforts in promoting "reliable tourism" and "barrier-less tourism" aimed at attracting and facilitating tourists to the region.

The city of Dunhuang in Qinghai province, where the world-famous Dunhuang Grottoes are located, has also signed agreements with 14 cities to play each other's promotional video programs at scenic spots.

The one-month-long Dunhuang Culture and Tourism Festival may entice about 320,000 potential visitors to this ancient and exotic city next year. Forty-two local travel services have signed contracts with 83 tourism agencies from the mainland, Hong Kong and Singapore. Under the agreement, they will help introduce tourists to Dunhuang.

Editor: Donald