At the end of this year, the tourism achievement of western Hubei ecological and cultural tourism circle in 2015 is very clear. According to provincial Two Circles and Two Belts strategy debriefing meeting held by Yichang government on December 10th , that Yichang tourist arrivals and  revenue is ahead among 8 western Hubei circle cities, states, and forest regions, including Yichang, Xiangyang, Shiyan, Jingzhou, Jingmen, Suizhou, Enshi, Shenlongjia Forest District, followed by Shiyan in this year.

According to Yichang City Development and Reform Commission statistics, in 2015, Yichang accelerates the construction of the core city of the western Hubei circle, concentrating on the construction of western Hubei ecological and cultural tourism circle core city and  Three Gorges International Tourism Destination Cities, putting forward the development strategy of “Two Creation and One Leap”, namely, to create the national tourism standardization city, national tourist resort and to make the cultural tourism jumped to billion industry. In the first three quarters, the city received 40213.6 thousand domestic and foreign tourists, realizing the tourism income of 39620 million yuan, with increasing rate reaching 14.4 percent and 32.3 percent respectively. It is estimated that the annual domestic and foreign tourists reached 45 million; tourism revenue reached 45 billion yuan, realizing a year-on-year increase of 10 percent and 34 percent respectively. The main tourism economic indicators rank the second in the Hubei Province and the first in western Hubei circle.

However, according to the materials from Shiyan, this city puts the “international tourist destination city” as a core objective of the development of tourism and the ecological and cultural tourism as the second pillar industries to cultivate. In 2015, tourists exceeded 40 million, increasing 20.52 percent; the total tourism revenue reached 28.5 billion yuan, up 23.68 percent.

Xiangyang received 333,573,300 tourists from home and abroad in 2014. Relevant data are not available in 2015, in accordance with the city’s goal before the end of this year, the two indicators- tourist arrivals and tourism revenues should all realize the growth rate of 20% in 2015.

The tourism maintained a rapid growth momentum in Enshi. According to the statistics, the tourists, from Wuhan city circle, Chengdou-Chongqing city circle, central plain city circle, Chang Zhu Tan city circle, accounted to 97 percent of the total tourists in Enshi. On the market radius, it has expanded from the major tourist destination of Wuhan and Chongqing to several areas, including Sichuan, Henan, Hunan, Jiangsu, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Guangdong. The tourists are expected to reach 357,000,000 in statewide tourism this year, realizing comprehensive  tourism revenue 24 billion yuan. If this goal will be realized, these two data realize a year-on-year increasing of 15 percent, 20 percent respectively. The tourism revenue in Shenlongjia Forest District was predicted to reach 3100 million yuan by 2015, receiving 876,500,000 tourists, up 23 percent and 25.2 percent respectively on last year’s same period.

The ancient city of Jingzhou, which is adjacent to Yichang, didn’t provide specific gross annual income and total number of tourists. But according to the data provided by National Holiday, the city has received 242, 200, 000 visitors, the comprehensive tourism income reached 1420 million yuan. The main scenic areas in Jingzhou are Jingzhou Ancient City, HonghuLantian, HonghuYuexi Island, SongzhiWeishui, Jingzhou Museum, Wangshou Park, the Horses and Chariots Array of the King of Chu.

Jingmen hosted 211, 400,000 tourists from home and abroad in 2014, bringing in 10700 million yuan in tourism revenue.

Suizhou received 17, 000, 000 visitors in 2015, reaching 10500 million yuan in comprehensive tourism income.  (Journalist Zhang Liang)