The figure represented an increase of 7.27 percent from the previous year, according to the Tourism Department of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Guilin, a tourism city in Guangxi, was visited by 950,000 tourists from overseas in 2000, up nearly 57 percent from the previous year, higher than any other tourism city in China.

In 2000, Guilin invested two billion yuan in improving its tourism environment. Sixteen travel agencies reformed their operational system. Hotels, passenger transport companies and scenic areas improved their services, thus standardizing their services and winning trust of Chinese and foreign tourists.

(Xinhua 01/25/01)