Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region hosts a total of 362,000 overseas tourists and 16.61 million domestic tourists this year, local tourism authorities said on Friday.

Its tourism sector garnered US$128 million from overseas travelers, up 30 percent, and 14.9 billion yuan (US$1.9 billion) from domestic travelers, up 10 percent, the local tourism authorities said.

Xinjiang, a jewel of western China, owes its booming tourism not only to its breathtaking natural beauty but also to its shoring up of the local service industry.

There are now 378 travel agencies in Xinjiang along with 300-plus star-rated hotels and 105 state-class tourist attractions.

Xinjiang features unique landscapes dotting the Silk Road and other historic sites, and pittoresque ethnic communities.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2006)

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