URUMQI - China's far western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is expected to report over 20 percent annual growth in both tourist numbers and tourism revenue in 2011, the autonomous regional tourism bureau said Wednesday.

Xinjiang is estimated to have received a record 38.3 million tourists this year with a record tourism revenue of 38 billion yuan ($6 billion), the bureau said in a press release.

The region is likely to receive 1.3 million overseas tourists with a tourism revenue of $440 million. Meanwhile, it is estimated to host 37 million domestic tourists with a revenue of 35 billion yuan, it said.

The regional authorities said in May that they were striving to make tourism a strategic pillar industry and build Xinjiang into one of the country's key tourist destinations.