China will increase its investment for the development of village tourism this year in order to further entice tourists to visit the country's villages, Vice Premier Wang Yang announced.

Although the amount of investment was not immediately disclosed, Wang said the government will transform 10,000 villages into tourism spots as part of the growing village tourism program. At least 200,000 households in those villages will be transformed into farm stay accommodation, he added.

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Wang made the pronouncement during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Global Summit of the World Tralve & Tourism Council (WTTC). Based in London, the council holds the annual meeting in a different city since 2000 and China has hosted the meeting twice.

While still at its infancy in China, village tourism has already benefited more than 30 million farmers, whose households have been included in the farm stay program. At least 1.7 million households have already joined in the farm stay business, latest tourism data showed.

Village tourism is a somewhat new concept in the global tourism industry, where tourists are brought to farms and villages to experience how it is to live and work in those areas. Village officials are also urged to develop areas that can be transformed into tourist attractions.

This concept has become a hit as millions of tourists around the world want to veer away from the usual tourism offerings, which include stays in luxury hotels, eating in expensive restaurants, and visiting famous tourist spots.

"For those who have been living and working in big cities, where life can sometimes be very busy and stressful , a visit to a farm or a laid-back village or enjoying a new natural scenery and then staying in a farmer's house can be something new," said one tour operator.

Tourism is one of the major economic players in China. The country's tourism market is expected to surpass US $2.5 trillion in the next five years with more than 100 million Chinese citizens expected to travel abroad this year.

Wang said the Chinese government will continue to introduce programs and roll out policies that will develop and nurture the country's tourism sector.