The number of tourists visiting Xinjiang province this year has significantly dropped compared to the same time last year.
Head of Xinjiang’s tourism bureau Yinamu Naisierding said the province has seen a 40 per cent reduction in tourism, which can be attributed to recent ethnic unrest and terror attacks against Han Chinese.
Previously the Xinjiang Autonomous Region had booming tourism, usually peaking in May, with profits increasing by 17 per cent last year thanks to more than five million domestic tourists, Naisierding said.
In response to the decline in visitations the Xinjiang government has announced a 500 yuan (US$80) incentive for each tourist visiting Xinjiang.
Boasting beautiful natural landscapes and an abundance of resources including minerals and oil, Xinjiang is located in the centre of Eurasia and has always been a bridge connecting China to the West.
Naisierding hopes to remind prospective tourists that one ethnic group should not undermine the entire population of the province.
Despite this, it is hard to ignore the ongoing civil unrest within the province.
On Monday, reports showed that 23 terrorist groups were arrested in May after the most recentbomb attack carried out by Uyghur separatists in Urumqi markets leaving 43 dead and 90 injured.
