Guizhou province has achieved great economic growth in recent years while making further progress in improving the environment, senior provincial official Lu Yongzheng said on Sunday.

Lu, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee, said the rate of economic growth has been among the top provinces in China for 10 consecutive years.

He was speaking at a press conference held for overseas and domestic reporters who are on a tour of the province to learn about the history of the Communist Party of China.

Last year, Guizhou made a huge leap forward when its GDP reached more than 1.78 trillion yuan ($272 billion) and the province moved up to 20th nationwide, he said.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), the rate of forest coverage rose from 50 percent to 60 percent.

The province also saw continuous growth in the tourism industry. In 2019, Guizhou received a total of 1.135 billion tourists from both home and abroad, Lu said.

"So far, tourism numbers this year are markedly better than those of last year," he said.

Lu said, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, activities will be held throughout the year, including educational events on the Party's history, a celebratory conference and the publishing of literary works.