Shanxi invests in rural highways to boost tourism

Shanxi province released construction planning for its highways on Aug 8, strengthening the connections to its major tourist attraction over the coming four years, Xinhua reported.

According to the planning, the government will invest 18.4 billion yuan ($27.7 billion) to build a series of highways with a total length of 4,120 kilometers on the basis of its existing traffic network.

According to officials, it will bring greater convenience to people travelling to scenic spots located outside inner city areas, such as forest parks, natural conservation parks and traditional villages. A better road network will support the development of the entire tourism industry from famous scenic spots to rural sightseeing, forest hiking and ecological tourism.

In addition, tourism authorities will make great efforts to restore traffic infrastructure, such as repairing highway signs which guide travellers to their destinations.