The west China province of Xinjiang is undertaking cooperative tourism projects in border areas with its neighboring Central Asian countries.

This activity is expected to encourage further economic and cultural development between the two parties. The Xinjiang Jimunai County government has formally signed an agreement of tourism cooperation with Shyghys Qazaqstan. According to the agreement, Chinese tourists are allowed to visit agreed venues including of frontier stations, country gates, boundary bridges, and border trade markets after leaving Jimunai border crossings and they can then enter Shyghys Qazaqstan – visiting Lake Zaysan and several cities ¨C and then finally return to Jimunai.

Xinjiang borders on eight countries and has seventeen national first-class border crossings, and it is the province with the longest borderline and the largest number of open border crossings. According to Jimunai Tourism Bureau, Chinese citizens only need to provide a list of names and copies of visas to leave Jimunai border crossing, and they can enter Kazakstan with their visas and get visas on arrival from Kazakhstan's immigration department. Because Jimunai border crossing closes every Saturday and Sunday, tour groups go to Kazakstan every Monday, Thursday, and Friday.

In addition, Kashgar is also positively developing tours to Pakistan; taking advantage of its location, which has hosted traveling merchants from more than seventy countries and areas for trade and sightseeing.

As a major tourism area in China, Xinjiang has welcomed a total of 438,400 international tourists last year, and it achieved US$162 million in inbound tourism revenue, representing growth rates of 20.96% and 26.48%, respectively.