Beijing  and Washington are celebrating China-US Tourism Year this 2016 as economists noted that tourism's role in the economic cooperation between the two increases. 

Reports from the communist-backed Global Times said thatfa the two countries are looking into tourism as a possible growth point following a decline in bilateral investments  and trade cooperation in the past years.

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As part of a series of activities and events for the China-US Tourism Year, nearly 1,000 American tourists visited the Jinshanling Great Wall in North China's Hebei Province on Friday, the Global Times reported.

Bilateral trade cooperation

Various measures had been lined up to boost tourism during President Xi Jinping's state visit to the US last year. President Barack Obama and Xi designated 2016 as the China-US Tourism Year.

Reports said the two countries have been facing an uphill struggle in promoting bilateral trade cooperation and investment amid the current global economic uncertainty.

Economists have expressed hopes that the US-China Tourism Year will help uplift the slow economy with the two sides striving to find new growth points.

Chinese visits to the US

Reports said in 2015, China and US bilateral visits surpassed 4.75 million with Chinese visits to the US exceeding 2.66 million, up by 16.77 percent compared to the same period in 2014.

Analysts said Chinese visits to the US is expected to increase in the coming years.

The Global Times has reported that Chinese tourists spent around $10,800 each when they visited the US in 2014.

"If they spent $10,000 per trip to the US in 2015, Chinese tourists would have spent a whopping $26.6 billion in the country, similar to nearly 18 percent of the total volume of China's imports from the US last year, " the paper said.

Reports said the increase in bilateral visits will not only benefit the two countries' economies but most important, it will enhance Sino-US relations

Reports said that the increase of 'people to people' exchanges between Beijing and Washington it will most likely help in bridging the differences between the two countries and promote understanding.

TagsChina-US Tourism Year, china, Washington, slow economy, Chinese visits to US, imports, Sino-US relations