Sister cities plan joint efforts in tourism development

Zhongmu county in Henan province of central China and Peru's Machupicchu have reached a consensus to develop sister city relations. The two intend to make joint efforts to push forward tourism development in the future.

A delegation led by Machupicchu's mayor Elvis Lexin La Torre Unacori visited Henan's capital city Zhengzhou and Zhongmu county in late September, during which Zhongmu and Machupicchu agreed to establish friendly relations. The two sides plan to sign a letter of intent and a letter of agreement in the near future.

The two cities both have longstanding history and rich tourism resources. The Machupicchu district in Peru's Province of Urubamba, South America, is home to the well-preserved relics of Machu Picchu. Built in the 15th century and known as the "lost city of the Incas", it was listed in 1983 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Zhongmu county has a history of over 2,700 years, dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770 — 476 BC). The county boasts diversified intangible cultural heritages including black pottery, clay sculpture and paper cutting arts, and is the origin of Chinese traditional instrument of Konghou.

Based on the rich cultural and tourism resources, Zhongmu has made efforts to develop its tourism in recent years. Establishing sister city relations with Machupicchu is one of the explorative steps the county has taken to raise its global reputation, said the county's officials.

Zhongmu, which used to rely on agriculture for economic income, has channeled increasing investment and efforts to shape it into an attractive destination for both domestic and international tourists. It has made full use of its rich cultural resources to develop theme parks, leisure resorts and launch night tour routes.

The county received over 80 overseas delegations and around 30.8 million tourist visits last year, with these tourism visits generating a revenue of 15.14 billion yuan ($2.1 billion), up 155.7 percent year-on-year.

Ding Wenxia, Party secretary of Zhongmu, said that the county has taken all-around steps to transform from a major agricultural county into a tourism power by releasing supportive policies and introducing sustainable investment to turn the existing cultural resources into tourism attractions.

She said that the county-level government has made great efforts to optimize the tourism-related infrastructure and facilities on transportation and accommodation, and give stronger support to some smart tourism development events to give tourists immersive and futuristic experiences.

In addition to the promising tourism cooperation prospects between Henan and Peru, the two places have established very deep and strong economic relations in recent years, especially in the automobile sector.

Zhengzhou Yutong Group Co, a manufacturer of commercial vehicles and electric buses headquartered in Henan's Zhengzhou, has so far taken a market share of 20 percent of Peru's vehicle market.

In June, Yutong signed a contract with Pluz Peru, a distribution of electric energy company, to introduce two electric buses connecting Machupicchu district and Machu Picchu, with each of the buses expected to carry 300 passengers and a maximum battery range of 250 km. The introduction and future operation of electric buses will help Peru to reduce carbon emissions of 40 tons each year, maintaining sustainable tourism development in Peru.

Qi Xin contributed to this story.