Cross-border organization to boost China-Russia tourism

An organization aimed at ramping up cross-border tourism between China and Russia has been established in the northeastern Heilongjiang Province, local authorities announced on Thursday.

The international organization, set up in Heilongjiang's capital city of Harbin on Wednesday, boasts four members -- Russia's Amur region and three tourist cities in Heilongjiang, according to the Harbin City Tourism Bureau (HCTB).

The cooperation will see a tourist service center built in Harbin to beef up travel between the Amur region and the three cities -- Harbin, Yichun and Heihe.

The four members will jointly work on developing a variety of tourism forms including eco-tourism and border visits, the HCTB said.

A host of mechanisms will also be put in place to guarantee the rights of tourists, it added.

Yichun has the biggest coverage of forests among all the cities in China, while Heihe is separated from Russia only by a border waterway.