China's top tourism bureau and travel agency jointly launched an online competition in Beijing on Friday, ahead of the first World Tourism Development Conference hosted by the capital in May.

The online competition, called "Smart Traveler Search", tests netizen's travel knowledge on topics such as geography and problem solving.

Jointly launched by the China National Tourism Administration and Aoyou, an online booking agency operated by the China Youth Travel Service, the competition aims to boost tourism for the conference from May 18 to 22.

Zhang Jilin, an official from the bureau, said the conference shows that governments from different countries value and support the development of tourism. They hope that international cooperation on tourism can boost the global economy, Zhang said.

According to the bureau, nearly a thousand people from across the world will gather in Beijing for the conference in May.