2022 CITM injects new impetus into tourism recovery

The 2022 China International Travel Mart (CITM) was held in Kunming, Yunnan province from July 22 to 24. Merchants from 71 countries and regions participated in the travel fair online or offline, and business representatives got together to share new opportunities and boost the recovery of world tourism. 　

Inaugurated in 1998, the CITM has, over the past 20 plus years, grown to be an international platform to display the achievements of Chinese tourism development and promote cultural cooperation with other countries. This year, the CITM marks its 11th presence in Yunnan, and 471 travel businesses and cultural institutions across the province participated in the fair. Within an exhibition area of 40,000 square meters, the exhibitors presented international audience lush mountains, lucid waters, distinct cultures and lifestyles.

In the pavilions of Yunnan cultural tourism, health living, sports tourism and tourism consumption, the visitors were impressed by Yunnan’s diverse ethnic cultures, healthy lifestyles and harmonious coexistence. The on-site demonstration on cultural creation and sports tourism projects attracted audiences, reflecting the deep integration of Yunnan tourism with sports, rehabilitation, culture and other services. Room for local tourism consumption was expanded, and the momentum for tourism recovery is rising. This year's travel fair also set up an online hall, and the digital exhibition allowed net users all over the world to see the beauty of Yunnan.

During the 2022 CITM, exhibitors held special promotion conferences on cultural tourism in turn, and the organizers also launched the Forum on Innovation and Development of Smart Tourism, the Forum on China-Laos Railway Helping to Build an Asian Community of Shared Future, and the Forum on International Tourism Cooperation and Development under RCEP Framework. In addition, the exhibition areas of "East Asian Cultural Capital" and "Lancang-Mekong Tourist Cities Alliance" were set up to showcase the developments in East Asian culture and regional cultural tourism.

The travel fair has further boosted confidence in Yunnan cultural tourism and tourist consumption, and the province’s tourism is ushering in new momentum. In the first half of 2022, the fixed-asset investment of Yunnan tourism industry is reported to have increased by 50.7% year on year, and the number of tourists and tourism income have both recovered to 90% and 76% of those in the same period of 2019.

Reporting by Liu Ziyu, Wang Huan and Shu Wen; Trans-editing by Wang Shixue