NANCHANG, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- By creating more jobs and increasing income for local residents, China's geopark construction has become a key driver for the country's poverty alleviation campaign.
A government survey showed the total tourism revenues of 220 geoparks in China rose at an average growth rate of 12.4 percent from 2014 to 2016, He Qingcheng, an official of the Global Geoparks Network, told a symposium on geoparks and poverty reduction Friday.
More than 100,000 households in poverty can find jobs or start businesses thanks to China's geopark construction, He said.
Meanwhile, tourists attracted by geoparks will become a steady source of income for local hotels and restaurants, further improving transport infrastructure construction and public services in poverty-stricken areas, He added.
China has made historic achievements in fighting poverty over the past decades, making the country a major contributor to the world's poverty reduction endeavors.
The country aims to lift around 95 percent of its poor population out of poverty by the end of this year and wipe out extreme poverty in 2020.
