Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region continues pushing forward high-quality economic development, striving to become an international tourism city, local media outlets reported on Aug 31.

Guilin has achieved remarkable outcomes in tourism in the first half of 2021 as the city received a total of 59.63 million domestic tourists and achieved a total tourism consumption of 73.29 billion yuan ($11.34 billion), and both increased 120 percent and 109 percent year on year, respectively.

Efforts have been made in the transformation and upgrading of tourism, speeding up the construction of major projects in cultural tourism and big health.

"The city has invested 1.65 billion yuan in 35 cultural tourism projects at the autonomous regional level in the first six months, accounting for 54.53 percent of the annual investment plan," an official from the Guilin bureau of culture, radio, film, television, and tourism said.

It also strives to establish integrated tourism demonstration zones and distinctive famous tourism counties, and launch eight tourism routes featuring ecological relaxation, which aim to boost rural revitalization.

More than six billion yuan has been invested by the city in ecological water projects to upgrade the water quality of the Lijiang River.