On December 3 in northern China, several cities formed an alliance. The alliance, comprising major travel agencies and 19 popular tourism destinations — including Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Kunming — will work together to analyze trends in inbound tourism.

According to the Beijing Tourism Development Committee, the group is also aiming to create more innovative tour packages for foreign tourists. Travel agencies are expected to come up with unified standards of service, and the government should further invest in the promotion of the country to attract more visitors.