Southwest China's Sichuan Province is planning to rebuild 1,500 kilometers of roads leading to and from tourism resorts in ethnic-minority regions, as part of a drive to improve the province's infrastructure for tourism, according to local sources here Tuesday.

The province will upgrade communications and energy facilities within and around its resorts. Developing new sites and upgrading current sites are also on the schedule.

The construction of airports in leading scenic spots will be started or completed soon. The airports at the Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong scenic spots, which are included on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage list, are expected to be completed by the end of this year and go into operation early next year, the sources said.

Meanwhile, renovation work will begin on the Shuangliu International Airport in this provincial capital, and it will be put into use in June, the peak tourism time.

The province plans to promote its rich tourism attractions internationally, especially targeting markets in Europe and the United States, according to the sources.

( Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2002)