Villagers greet tourists at an agro-tourism area in Emin County, Tacheng Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 30, 2024. Xinjiang in northwest China has entered its peak tourism season recently. Emin County, located near the China-Kazakhstan border, is a popular tourist destination which provides various rural tour routes and cultural events. (Photo: Xinhua)

The aviation sector has seen rising momentum in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region amid this year's summer travel boom, with average daily passenger arrivals at regional airports standing at 181,600, surpassing 180,000 for the first time, local media outlet Xinjiang Daily reported.

The achievement came as the region's economy gained pace in the first half of the year, growing by 5.4 percent year-on-year, with the services sector continuing to revive and passenger trips seeing rapid growth.

Driven by high summer demand, airports in both southern and northern Xinjiang are breaking records of passenger numbers.

In July, Kashi Laining International Airport reported a total of 504,000 passenger arrivals, surging 30.41 percent year-on-year,, according to the Xinjiang Daily.

During the same period, passenger arrivals at Xinjiang's Ili Yining International Airport jumped 29 percent to 314,000, with flight departures and arrivals rising 22 percent to 2,874, a new record.

The surge in Xinjiang's tourism can be attributed to ongoing policy support, the region's rich and unique tourist resources, and its vigorous efforts to diversify tourism products, Wang Jinwei, a professor at the School of Tourism Sciences at Beijing International Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday.

"In recent years, Xinjiang has been pursuing a diversified tourism development strategy. In addition to traditional scenic spots, the region has developed various cultural, educational, and rural tourism products," Wang said.

Wang noted that this approach has stimulated growth in local tourism and related sectors, such as hospitality and aviation while contributing to the region's economic expansion and vibrant consumer spending.