Tourism growth can help boost economy of northeast region

China's northeastern region, comprising the provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, and part of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, continues to play a significant role in the country's development. For one, the region has been a major production base of commodity grains and an integral part of China's industrial backbone for decades.

Yet many people fail to appreciate the region's socioeconomic importance and often associate it with economic backwardness with a declining industrial sector.

The tourism industry, which has substantial economic influence and cultural dissemination power, serves as a catalyst reshaping the region's image and highlighting its vitality. With abundant natural and cultural resources, different ethnic traditions, customs and festivals, and rich cultural heritages, the northeastern region has the potential for the development of the tourism industry. And to unleash this potential, the region needs to create distinctive tourism brands to attract both domestic and foreign visitors, boost the region's soft power and inject new vibrancy into the tourism sector by using the region's unique tourism resources to advantage.