A 71-member delegation of Japanese tourism developers will visit southwest China's Guizhou Province from March 17 to 22, said the province's tourism administration on Thursday.

Invited by China National Tourism Administration, the Japanese delegation, headed by Maruyama Hiroshi, vice minister for Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, will visit famous scenic spots in the province.

They will go to Huangguoshu Waterfall and the ancient town of Tianlong Tunbao, and villages and towns of Miao and Dong ethnic minorities as well as some tourist attractions in the provincial capital of Guiyang.

"The delegation comprises of officials and business leaders from Japan's tourism industry," said Fu Yingchun, deputy director of Tourism Administration of Guizhou Province, "They will have a thorough investigation of Guizhou's infrastructure covering catering, transportation and accommodation facilities," added Fu.

According to statistics from the provincial government, Guizhou received 15,900 tourists from Japan in 2005, an increase of 21 percent over the previous year.

(Xinhua News Agency March 17, 2006)