Li says tourism push to help relieve poverty

Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi said at the conference that his government will ease visa procedures to encourage more tourists to visit the country.

About 50,000 of Mozambique's 25 million people are working in tourism industries, generating a total tourism revenue of $135 million last year, he said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a congratulatory letter to the conference that tourism involves many economic sectors as well as social culture.

He said it also can create jobs, contribute to preserving culture and build cross-cultural understanding.

In 2011, the Chinese government designated May 19 as China's National Tourism Day to honor Xu Xiake, a famous geographer and traveler of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) who wrote travel books.

His first travelogue was written on May 19, 1631.

Li Jinzao of the China National Tourism Administration said the government will improve such infrastructure as roads, waterways and urban construction to boost tourism, especially in poverty-stricken regions.

The job opportunities created by tourism and related industries account for 10.2 percent of the country's total employment, he said.

He added that the number of Chinese outbound tourists will reach 600 million in the next five years.