A city tour operator is offering a package which will benefit the people in the areas visited.

The five-day trip to Guizhou Province is being promoted by the Shanghai Airline Holiday Tour Co Ltd, and includes famous scenic spots such as the Huangguoshu Waterfall.

In addition, the tour group will spend an afternoon at the Dashanba Village in Tianlong Town to visit the children there.

"The tourists are expected to communicate with them, telling them about the world outside the giant mountains," said Hu Xin, public relations supervisor of the company. "They can also take books, stationery or daily necessities to the children as gifts."

The first tour, which will set out on December 9, is fully booked.

"We expect to have such a group setting out every week," said Hu.

Hu said the 84 children in the village had four teachers working in the only school there, whose highest grade was grade three of primary school. Further education was difficult because of poverty.

Previously some tourists had helped the local population with charity gifts on trips they had organized themselves but this is the first time a tour company had developed an itinerary combining sightseeing with aid for local people, said Hu.

(Shanghai Daily November 27, 2007)