Tourism boost for Russia and China

 　　BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The Kremlin in Moscow has witnessed the launch of "Tourism Year of China" 2013, which will look to help boost the travel industry for both China and Russia.

　　Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, attended the opening ceremony. Analysts¹ say the attendance of the two countries' presidents will hopefully provide a boost for the tourism business.

　　Xi said tourism is the best way to enhance the sense of neighborhood and Putin warmly introduced China to all Russians.

　　This year's campaign will involve 382 activities, 235 hosted by China and the rest by Russia.

　　"Only travelers can tell how the bilateral² relationship is going," said Xing Guangcheng, an expert on Russia research with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

　　According to Russian tourism official data, 343,000 trips were made from China to Russia in 2012, up 47 percent year on year.

　　Diao Shuang, manager of European businesses with China Youth Travel Service, said younger tourists are also heading to Russia. "In 2011, 70 percent of tourists to Russia were elderly," Diao said, "but this year 40 percent are younger than 45."

　　Meanwhile, the number of Russian tourists to China is the third largest in the world and has been since 1997. Some 2.43 million trips were made in 2012 and another 172,700 trips from Russia to China in January, up 27 percent year on year.

　　"Tourists from Russia has outnumbered any other European or American countries in the last two years." said Cheng Jie, deputy general manager of European businesses in China Travel Service.

　　In border cities in northeast China, shops and stall holders³ carry out business making deals in Russian and many Russian tourists visit local Chinese people, living peacefully and happily.

　　Renowned⁴ as "Twin Cities," Heihe of China's northeast Heilongjiang Province neighbors Russia's Blagoveshchensk. More than 7,000 Russians each day go shopping in Heihe during the busy season.

　　Zhang Guangqiang, Far East Travel Service executive general manager in Russia's neighboring Jilin Province, said traditional Chinese medicine like acupuncture⁵ as well as beautiful scenery attracts many Russians.

　　"Many Russians have mistaken Chinese people as wearing grey or blue suits," an experienced Russian guide Nikolay Amurov said, "but they have found China to be such an attractive country."

　　He said China's coastal⁶ cities like Beidaihe of north Hebei Province and Sanya of south Hainan Province fascinate Russians besides cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

　　In 2011, Hainan Province accommodated 220,000 trips from Russia, up 51.9 percent year on year, according to the China National Tourism Administration.

　　Zhu Shanzhong, deputy director of the administration, said the country aims to attract more Russians to southwest Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.

　　"Surging costs become the biggest problem in developing tourism between the two countries," Cheng Jie said, "airline, hotel and catering⁷ all face price increases which hinder tourists."

　　The lack of experienced and professional tour guides posed another challenge for Chinese enterprises to explore the Russian tourism market, which long for opportunities created by the "Tourism Year" to tackle this plight⁸.?

1 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

2 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

3 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

4 renowned   

adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的

参考例句：

• He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
• She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。

5 acupuncture   

n.针灸，针刺法，针疗法

参考例句：

• Written records show that acupuncture dates back to the Song Dynasty.文字记载表明，宋朝就已经有了针灸。
• It's known that acupuncture originated in China.众所周知，针灸起源于中国。

6 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

7 catering   

n. 给养

参考例句：

• Most of our work now involves catering for weddings. 我们现在的工作多半是承办婚宴。
• Who did the catering for your son's wedding? 你儿子的婚宴是由谁承办的？

8 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。