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A group of 16 travel agencies in Chongqing have joined together to form a tourism alliance.

Initiated by 16 travel agencies, including Chongqing Junhao International Travel Service, CTS Chongqing, and Guangda International Travel Service, the Chongqing Tourism Alliance is reported to be the first super large travel agent in China. The alliance’s members pledge that they will work to share resources and interests; share risks; resist zero tour fees; and improve travel service quality.

You Kaihong, the CEO of the alliance, said that establishment of the alliance would bring an end to a confused situation in the Chongqing travel agency market. He added that the alliance had entered into strategic partnerships with scenic spots and travel agencies in a number of places like Guizhou, Yunnan, and Beijing, and it would help these regions market their tourism resource and products in Chongqing. You concluded that the alliance would expel any members and confiscate their deposit if they violate the alliance rules that are aimed to create a well regulated tourism market.

Chongqing has designated 2010 as the year for the Three Gorges Tourism construction and plans to invest CNY3 billion to build the Three Gorges International Tourism golden zone.

To unify the development of the Three Gorges tourism, the Chongqing government has Chongqing Traffic and Tourism Investment Group Company — a well-known and experienced travel service provider — the responsibility for integrating and managing the transportation and service tasks involved in the construction of Three Gorges Tourism golden zone.

Tan Xiwei, the vice mayor of Chongqing, has said that to achieve the goal of building the Three Gorges into an international tourism golden zone, Chongqing needs to not only improve its tourism facilities and service quality, but also to explore the overseas market.

It is understood that the Three Gorges features natural and tourism resources that are comparable with those of Zhangjiajie in Hubei province, but it lags far behind Zhangjiajie in both tourist numbers and tourism revenue. For example in 2009 Zhangjiajie received 11.8 million tourists while the number of tourists for the Three Gorges was only about two million.

At the Chongqing-Ningbo Week held in Chongqing, Ningbo Tourism Administration signed a cooperation agreement with the Chongqing tourism authorities.

The two will encourage an increase in the number of Ningbo-Chongqing flights in cooperation with the local civil aviation departments. Tourism supervision departments will co-work with law enforcement departments to efficiently and quickly handle the travel complaints in the two cities.

Local governments of Ningbo will also grant concessions and incentives such as half-price tickets for Chongqing travel agencies to encourage them to organize more trips to Ningbo. Agencies that are awarded as the top 10 travel agencies in Ningbo will receive premium of CNY50,000.

China International Travel Service Chongqing, Chongqing China Travel Service (Group), Chongqing CYTS Tours Corporation, Chongqing Self-drive Tourism Marketing Alliance, their 200 outlets and over 500 inbound and outbound travel service providers have formed Chongqing’s largest marketing platform: Golden CITS-CTS-CYTS Tourism Alliance.

The establishment of the alliance represents China’s top three travel agencies have started consolidation in western even in the whole China. The Alliance will integrate the brand and market influence and guest sources of its members.

In 2008, the three agencies have accepted 500,000 inbound and outbound tourists, organized 600,000 domestic trips, 60,000 foreign trips, and 100,000 self-drive trips. They have had successes in overall marketing, product design and market promotion of Singapore, Thailand, German, Japan and other countries, areas, and tourist attractions.

The Chongqing Self-drive Tourism Marketing Alliance includes 11 members such as Chongqing CASW Club, Chongqing FM938 Auto Club and Chongqing Auto Fan Club.

A five-star resort hotel is under construction in Chongqing Wild Zoo in Yongchuan.

According to an official of the zoo, rare birds, such as parrots and peacocks, as well as docile animals might be fed inside the hotel to show the fusion of the ecology of the hotel and Chongqing Wild Zoo.

The hotel is expected to be completed by spring 2010. Apart from several hundred standard rooms, there will also be three independent villas, a tennis court, a swimming pool, and upscale club for the hotel residents.