A handful of contracts and memos were signed on the first day of the 13th Chongqing Three Gorges International Tourism Festival. Thousands of visitors from across China and the rest of the world participated in the event amidst gorgeous and spectacular performances.

 

The Festival, a joint initiative of Chongqing Municipal Government and China National Tourism Administration, opened on June 25 in the county seat of Wushan, in the heart of the Three Gorges reservoir area. The first 11 sessions were hosted by the proper of Chongqing and the sponsors decided the counties in the Reservoir Area host the festival to promote the economic development and upgrade the tourism in the Area in 2007 when the 12th Festival was held.

 

Contracts valued at as high as RMB 16.16 billion and covering 12 projects and 10 counties have been singed following the opening ceremony, including the development of the rural areas and eco-tourism in Xiajiankou of Banan District, a holiday resort in Longxing Town of Yubei District, the development of modern rural tourist attractions in Yushui and the development of the Buddhist Monastery in Tongnan County.

 

On the same day, Chongqing signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hubei Provincial Government for the integration of tourist resources along the Yangtze Three Gorges and the joint host of the Festival.