Zhu Jingrong, general manager of the Lijiang Dingye Shuhe Travel Development Company, has told local media that at least eight five-star hotels will be built around Beam River Ancient Town in Lijiang, Yunnan Province over the next five years and Dingye would do its best to make the area into a top leisure and travel destination in China.

Zhu hopes that some of the newly-built five-star hotels in the region would be operated by international hotel groups. He said Lijiang's travel structure has undergone great changes in recent years and the room occupancy of four-star and five-star hotels has reached over 80%, which means the region is easily liable to become a top travel destination.

Lijiang and Sanya are among the most popular travel destinations for China's domestic travelers. Zhu says with its unique scenery and human resource and the current development of Lijiang, Beam River Ancient Town has the ability to attract foreign visitors and foreign hotel investment.