The integration of tourism and the Internet is expected to create a dividend of 1 trillion yuan ($157.2 billion) in each area of infrastructure improvement, online transaction and new technology in the next five years, becoming a new driving force, China’s top tourism official said on Sept 20.

“China’s tourism and the Internet have been undergoing critical transitions, an important opportunity for industry insiders to push for a ‘golden era’ of tourism and the Internet economy,” said the head of China’s National Tourism Administration (CNTA) Li Jinzao at a conference on tourism and the Internet.

According to an action plan released by CNTA, the Internet will be further integrated with various fields in the tourism industry by 2018; the Internet will lead the innovation on tourism products and become an important platform for public service and industry supervision.

Li said CNTA will create an open and inclusive environment for the development of tourism and the Internet, seeking to improve their innovative capabilities.