URUMQI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A total of 16 tourism projects have been signed in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with a total investment of 10.92 billion yuan (1.58 billion U.S. dollars), to further boost the region's tourism industry, local authorities said Saturday.

The projects invested by 16 domestic enterprises will be launched in one city and seven counties in southern Xinjiang's Hotan Prefecture in the fields of scenic spot construction, industrial tourism, agricultural tourism and other commercial tourism.

Data shows that Xinjiang has witnessed robust tourism growth in recent years. In 2018, the number of tourists in the region exceeded 150 million, up more than 40 percent year on year.