The guidelines call for health tourism facilities with distinctive elements to be developed by 2020. The aim is for the government to support medical, health management and leisure facilities to develop health products. Policies in favor of health tourism information, insurance and infrastructure investment development would be in place.

Health tourism is not just about offering cures but includes elements related to maintaining good health, says Yang Honghao, deputy director of the China Tourism Academy's tourism industry operation and enterprise development research organ.

"The industry is huge worldwide, and it is growing rapidly."

The value of the health tourism industry has grown 9 percent a year on average since 2014 and is expect - ed to be worth $740 billion in 2017, Yang says.

The booming domestic travel market and the demand for healthier lifestyles give the domestic health tourism development a shot in the arm, he says.

In the first six months of last year, the mainland received 2.5 billion visits by travelers, up 13.5 percent year - on - year, the National Tourism Administration says.

By 2020, China's tourism industry is forecast to be worth 7 trillion yuan($1.08 trillion) a year, and health services worth 8 trillion yuan, says Zhang Jilin, head of the National Tourism Administration's planning and finance division.

"There's great potential in the integrated development of health and tourism," Zhang said at the first Beijing International Health Tourism Expo last month.