In 2012, Arxan took the lead in Inner Mongolia in implementing a complete halt to logging activities in State-owned forest areas. The city, which had long depended on timber for its economic backbone, shifted its focus toward the vigorous development of its tourism sector.

Over the past decade, it has hosted approximately 30 million tourists and generated around 35 billion yuan ($4.8 billion) in tourism revenue.

More recently, from January to July, Arxan received 2.26 million visitors, a 240.21 percent year-on-year increase, and the sector contributed 3.28 billion yuan in revenue, a 240.08 percent rise year-on-year.

The China (Arxan) Tourism Conference kicked off on Sept 2. It featured a multitude of activities, such as exhibitions of intangible cultural heritage, a photography exhibition, cultural tourism forums, group self-drive tours, a forest music concert, a camping gathering and a firework show, all organized to enhance Arxan's appeal to tourists.