Yili Industrial Group Co, Ltd -- one of China’s leading dairy companies -- was listed among the top 10 industrial tourism enterprises at the China Industrial Tourism Industry Development Unity Plenary Meeting in Tangshan in Hebei province on Oct 21.

Business representatives from Yili shared their experiences in the exploration and innovation of industrial tourism at the meeting -- and provided astute advice to companies with ambitions in the field. 

According to the speakers, the Inner Mongolia-based company has dedicated itself to the construction of a safe and reliable dairy ecology system for many years.

The advanced production factories and intelligent manufacturing facilities of the company have set the standard for its counterparts in the development of industrial tourism. 

Guests are able to get acquainted with every part of the production process from special observation rooms at Yili’s factories. They can also get in touch with the cows and calves in the production bases in Inner Mongolia autonomous region. 

In addition, the Dairy Culture Museum built by Yili allows visitors to understand the place of dairy industry in the nomadic culture of the region. 

The company has also made efforts to improve its tourism services. It was the first in the region to introduce intelligent terminals in the attractions, which offer multiple language guides, visual reality experiences and various interactive functions. 

Among its 34 factories open to public as tourism attractions, three are 4A-level attractions and seven are 3A-level scenic spots. Yili has received over 12 million tourists since it initiated its industrial tourism and opened its doors to the public -- promoting Yili to the world. 

Industrial tourism is a new form of tourism that has emerged in recent years. 

It can be divided into three categories: industrial heritage tourism, visits to companies which hope to highlight their production methods, and scientific tourism. Experts say it is a potential growth sector that offers local regions  opportunities to leverage and market their distinct characteristics.

The Dairy Culture Museum built by Yili, one of China’s leading dairy companies, allows people to learn about the dairy industry and its relationship with the nomadic culture in North China. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Children view Yili’s advanced production factories -- to get an understanding of the production process -- from special visitor observation room. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

Various products developed by Yili are presented in the Dairy Culture Museum built by Yili.  [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]