Car—hailing giant Didi to build an ecosystem

May 1， 2017 （CNBC） -- Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi confirmed that it has indeed closed a gargantuan US$ 5.5 billion funding， to support its global strategy and continued investments in AI-based technologies and build an efficient and sustainable global mobility ecosystem. This comes less than a year after Didi Chuxing closed an even bigger US$ 7.3 billion funding， which Apple contributed a cool US$ 1 billion.

Third Apricot Flower and Butterfly Festival kicks off

May 3， 2017 （China Daily） -- The third Apricot Flower and Butterfly Festival was kicked-off in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region， attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists to the Yiwu County of Hami Prefecture. The festival was divided into seven different parts， featuring a range of diverse activities， including flower scenery appreciation， a photography competition， prayer activities and a range of sport games.

Hainan Island plans a US$ 3 billion medical tourism hub

May 4， 2017 （Bloomberg） -- Travel site Ctrip.com estimated about half a million Chinese travelled abroad for medical services last year. Millions are dying from cancer and heart disease， but regulatory bottlenecks have slowed approvals for the newest international therapies. Local officials said businesses have already been committed to spending 23 billion yuan on 27 projects ranging from hospitals to plastic surgery clinics.

Passengers will save money on Beijing-Tianjin rail route

May 5， 2017 （China Daily） -- A commuter pass for the Beijing-Tianjin intercity railway that gives a discount of up to 15 percent went on sale as part of government’s efforts to promote the integration of Beijing， Tianjin and Hebei Provinces. Last year， 646，000 passengers travelled back and forth between Beijing and Tianjin at least twice a month. The pass is expected to benefit more than 200，000 people.

Two Chinese geoparks enter UNESCO’s Global Geoparks Network

May 7， 2017 （CGTN） -- Two Chinese geological parks were approved to enter the Global Geoparks Network established by the United Nations Educational， Scientific and Cultural Organization （UNESCO）. The two parks， Arxan National Geopark and Koktokay National Geopark， are located respectively in northwest China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Amadeus sees boost in China’s railway sector

May 8， 2017 （China Daily） -- Amadeus believed that rail travel will play an even greater role in supplementing and complementing the wider travel industry in China. The Madrid-headquartered travel tech firm believed that China’s ever-growing middle class desires more personalized travel and there is tremendous untapped market potential for rail travel in China and the Asia Pacific region.

National park proposed a near lake reserve in Tibetan

May 9， 2017 （China Daily） -- The Tibet Autonomous Region planed to upgrade the natural reserve around Siling Lake， the region’s largest lake， and expand it to surrounding areas to establish the World’s Third Pole National Park on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The World’s Third Pole National Park would be established within Baingoin， Xainza， Nyima and Shuanghu counties.

Shanghai Disney to welcome its 10 millionth visitor

May 11， 2017 （China Daily） -- Shanghai Disney Resort said it is ready to welcome its 10 millionth visitor， as the resort approaches its first anniversary on June 16. The addition of the new Toy Story Land will add to the park’s popularity. As the resort has become a true national destination in China， attendance is outpacing their most optimistic projections and the park’s performance is exceeding their expectations.

Tourism exchanges increase via the Belt and Road Initiative

May 14， 2017 （Xinhua） -- Tourism exchanges have been increasing thanks to enhanced cooperation between China and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. The scale of two-way tourism exchanges has exceeded 25 million trips. About 85 million trips are expected to be made from countries in the Belt and Road region to China from 2016 to 2020， spending about US$ 110 billion. Over 10 million trips from China to countries in the region were made via China’s largest online travel agency Ctrip.com last year， rising by 72.5 percent.Thailand， Singapore and Malaysia are the top three destinations in the Belt and Road region for Chinese travellers.