The city of Yangquan, in North China's Shanxi province, signed a regional tourism strategic cooperation framework agreement with Handan, in the neighboring province of Hebei, on April 8. 

According to the framework agreement, the two cities will establish and strengthen a consultation mechanism for tourism work. They will also regularly study methods to deepen cooperation; standardize the market; exchange visitor sources, publicity and promotion; and coordinate solutions to major issues relating to tourism cooperation. 

They will jointly build tourism brands that are Taihang Mountains-themed, and expand their tourist market by making full use of preferential tourism policies. 

Yangquan and Handan will support each other's tourism promotions, encourage and advocate for each other as tourist sources and destinations, while jointly expanding their domestic and foreign tourism markets. 

The two sides will share tourism consulting service resources, distribute each other's tourism publicity materials at their respective public service sites, and use media resources to publicize each other's tourism information. 

They will enhance investment and talent exchanges, promote each other's tourism investment projects, and promote each other's preferential policies to tourism investors. Both sides have also agreed to guide and encourage investors to independently or jointly develop tourism projects in the two cities. 

Tourism enterprises will be encouraged to carry out cross-city cooperation, chain cooperation and brand promotion. 

Yangquan and Handan will further cooperate on talent training and vocational training, so as to improve the overall quality of employees in their tourism sectors.

In addition, the two cities plan to promote exchanges and cooperation among tourism industry associations, and strengthen the establishment systems for industry self-discipline and tourism creditworthiness.