Since adopting the policy of reform and opening up to the outside world, the Communist Party of China and authorities have attached great importance to the research of Dunhuang culture and arts, and to the construction of Dunhuang tourist city. In 1986, Wan Li, the Chairman of the National People's Congress, inspected this place and pointed out that Dunhuang should become an international tourist city with its own unique characteristics. In 1992, Jiang Zemin, the general secretary of the Central Committee of the CPC, also inspected this city and pointed out that the Long-term foresight is needed, and the large airport and hotels should be built in order to make Dunhuang an international tourist city. In the April of the same year, the government of Gansu Province granted to set up the Dunhuang tourist and economic development area.
In recent years, all previous municipal Party Committee and municipalities insisted on developing the economy, taking advantage of its unique tourist resources, combining the tourism with the development, giving prominence to the key points, laying solid foundations and improving its investment environment constantly. Besides, the tourist reception facilities are now beginning to take shape. The construction of the city and the auxiliary facilities have been improved increasingly in order to develop the tourist industry. Especially in recent 5 years, 148 construction projects have been finished and a total amount of 470 million yuan has been absorbed as investment.
Among them, the foreign capital reached to 190 million yuan. Therefore, a group of well-equipped high-grade restaurants and hotels have been newly built up, such as Dunhuang VIP Buikling, Dunhuang Villa, International Hotel, Sun Hotel, Shazhou Hotel and Dunhuang Hotel.
After the construction of many years, its comprehensive reception capability has made great progress. The large-scaled and well-equipped infrastructure can provide all kinds of good services, including transportation, meals, hotels, traveling service, shopping place and entertainment. The total of all kinds of hotels, restaurants has reached 105. they have nearly 8,000 beds to accommodate people with lodging. Among them, nearly 5,000 are standard beds. Nowadays, Dunhuang owns 16 hotels which are high graded or foreign related, 12 domestic tourism-nominated restaurants, 14 travel agencies and branches which run businesses for international and domestic tourism, 2000 professional people who are taking part in tourist services, 108 license-holding guides who can speak 6 different languages, over 900 travel automobiles that can provide 9000 seats and among which 700 are cabs that can provide 6000 seats. All the persons that take part in tourist services should be trained and examined. And only after getting the qualified licenses could they start their job. As a result, the standardization in tourist services has been enhanced and the procedure level raised continuously. In recent years, Dunhuang has received many VIPs of China and foreign countries, including Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Qiao Shi, Li Ruihuan, Zhu Rongji, Zou Jiahua, Wu Bangguo, Tian Jiyun, Wan Li, Li Tieying; Noboru Takeshita, Japanese Prime Minister; Li Guangyao, the former Singapore Premier; Nala, the Indian President; and Sirindhorn, the Thai Princess.
Since China opened up to foreign countries in 1979, the number of domestic visitors to Dunhuang has increased at an average rate of 14 per cent and foreign visitors 25 percent. By the end of 1998, the number of domestic and international visitors to this place has added up to 5,35 million. Among them, the foreign visitors 0.45 million and only in 1998, the number reached 0.52 million. The total income of the tourist industry has made up 22.4 per cent of the GNP of this city. And the tourism has become an irreplaceable pillar industry in the economic development of Dunhuang.