URUMQI, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- In 2023, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region received 265 million tourists, an increase of 117 percent from the previous year, with the overall tourism revenue reaching nearly 296.72 billion yuan (about 41.77 billion U.S. dollars), up 227 percent year on year.

  Passenger throughput of the region's airports exceeded 40 million for the first time last year, an increase of 143.8 percent year on year.

  The figures highlighted in the regional government work report during the annual session of the Xinjiang people's congress, which opened on Tuesday, reflect the strong momentum of tourism development in Xinjiang as well as the role of tourism in expanding employment, promoting consumption and enhancing the well-being of the local population.

  In 2024, Xinjiang will launch several infrastructure construction and upgrade projects for key scenic spots and tourism routes, and actively build border tourism pilot zones and cross-border tourism cooperation zones to attract large enterprises and groups to participate in the development and operation of tourist attractions, according to the region's "two sessions." Enditem