China is using travel as an important tool to help strengthen its economy. China also hopes to increase its influence on world events by sending more travelers overseas. This hope was evident at the recent First World Conference on Tourism. There, a Chinese official spoke about the government's plan for using tourists and the money they spend. The head of China’s National Tourism Administration, Li Jinzao, said the country is expecting some big numbers from tourism. Li told the conference that China plans to send 150-million travelers along what he called the “One Belt, One Road." In the next five years, these tourists are expected to spend $200 billion, he said. This spending estimate is likely to raise expectations among countries along the ancient Silk Road, which links China to its neighbors.