BEIJING, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- China has invited tourist companies and agencies to collect tourist plans themed on the country's intangible cultural heritage.

The tourist organizations can offer their advice to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism until the end of this year, and the ministry will select and promote 10 to 20 tourist routes in 2020, said the ministry.

The campaign aims to protect China's intangible cultural heritage and develop the heritage and tourism industry mutually.

China has invested more than 7 billion yuan (nearly 1 billion U.S. dollars) in the protection of intangible cultural heritage since the country adopted a law designed to preserve traditions in 2011.

China has approved batches of lists of national-level intangible cultural heritage with 1,372 items and provincial-level with 15,777 items. A total of 3,068 state-level and 16,432 provincial-level inheritors of intangible cultural heritage have been accredited.