"As the leader of Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, I'd like to welcome you to travel to Jiuzhaigou," Wu Zegang said.

Wu, commissioner of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, answered a question from a Reuters reporter on the sidelines of the annual parliament session in Beijing on Monday.

Jiuzhaigou is a world-famous tourist site in southwest China's Sichuan.

"Could foreigners travel to the Tibetan-inhabited areas in Sichuan Province? I want to visit Jiuzhaigou with my parents, but I am not sure whether I could go there since I have a press card of a foreign news agency," A female journalist from the Reuters asked Wu.

"Jiuzhaigou is always open to tourists from home and abroad, and you are welcome at any time," Wu replied.

"But I did not get a positive answer from a local official. Can I rely on you, or could you give me your phone number?" She asked.

"No problem, you can contact me whenever you want to come," Wu then gave the reporter his cellphone number.