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Anhui will improve the language skills of local tour guides to better serve the growing number of foreign tourists, the provincial governmental authorities said recently.
"We are required to provide a multi-lingual service as China further opens up its economy. Anhui Tourism Bureau is drafting a plan to train tour guides in other languages apart from Chinese and English," said Hu Xuefan, the bureau's director.
"I believe Anhui will be able to provide tour guide services to people from all around the world within two to three years," he added.
Hu made the remarks during the 2nd Anhui International Travel Agency Conference held in Huangshan city earlier this month.
The Anhui provincial government invited travel agencies from around the world to Mount Huangshan to promote the province's rich tourism resources.
Some 300 agency representatives from 11 countries and regions worldwide attended the conference along with 500 from other parts of China. A total of 17 agreements were signed.
Deputy governor Hua Jianhui briefed attendees on the development of the local tourism industry, adding that it has grown rapidly in recent years.
In the first three quarters of 2013, Anhui received 2.64 million overseas tourists, a year-on-year increase of 12 percent. It also welcomed 230 million Chinese tourists, up 14.1 percent. Total tourism revenue reached 191 billion yuan ($31.3 billion), a 14.3 percent jump from 2012.
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