Inner Mongolia beckons tourists with flowers

An azalea festival opened in Arxan city in northwestern Inner Mongolia autonomous region on May 19, the National Tourism Day, marking the start of this year’s “floral tourism”. 

A rich range of activities, including a Mongolian costume display, a food festival, a mass hiking and a photography exhibition took place in Arxan to encourage more residents to go out and have fun.

Inner Mongolia always attracts tens of millions of travelers from home and abroad every year to admire its vast grasslands in the summer. 

Local authorities hope that flowers, ice and snow will become new trademarks for the region and vitalize the economy in the low seasons of spring and winter. 

To enhance the brand of the “floral tourism”, Inner Mongolia has rolled out a number of incentives such as price discounts offered by scenic spots, travel agencies and hotels. Many cities in the region have made characteristic tour routes for travelers.

Inner Mongolia has witnessed a boom in tourism in recent years. A record number of 116 million tourists came in 2017, an 18.8 percent increase from 2016, generating 344 billion yuan ($54 billion) for the local economy.