CITM brings people to Yunnan for new opportunities
The 2023 China International Travel Mart (CITM) was closed in Kunming, Yunnan’s provincial capital, on November 19. Guests and friends from 70 countries and regions gathered in this province known as “South of the Clouds” for not only business opportunities but a shared future.
The world welcomes China’s latest tourism measures
Inbound tourism is a key indicator to measure the level of tourism development in one country. To China specifically, it plays as a foundation for this most populated country to move from a tremendous tourist market to a more popular travel destination worldwide.
The Global Travel Creators Summit, as an important part of the 2023 CITM, was also held in Kunming during the event. About 200 experts, entrepreneurs and travel agencies from across the globe had in-depth conversations on topics such as how different participants should work together to strengthen international tourism cooperation and how China can further boost its inbound tourism.
The China International Culture Association signed a strategic framework agreement with the country’s leading travel service provider, Trip.com Group, to promote “Hello! China!” as a national tourism image worldwide.
An initiative was jointly released by the Trip.com Group, Ant Group and some other enterprises to expand their cooperation in a number of fields, including inbound tourism services, overseas mobile payment, the global promotion of Chinese tourist destinations, services to group tourists, as well as travel route planning.
Officials from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Migration Administration published the latest information about the measures to further facilitate visa application and inbound travel. In return, positive feedback has already been given back to the world tourism industry.
Deal-making has also been a prior goal and the most important outcome of the CITM. Local governments and tourism companies from across China fully used the CITM as a platform to promote each one’s image, exchange ideas and conduct cooperation. New deals were accomplished nearly every hour, from the travel promotion events organized by Hainan province and Shanxi province to the one hosted by the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
“Yunnan: A Many-Splendored Life” as a slogan to highlight inclusiveness
The province’s current tourism slogan, “Yunnan: A Many-Splendored Life,” was widely acknowledged and applauded by different parties who took part in the event.
Yunnan, as the host of 2023 CITM, had the largest area and greatest number of booths for the exhibition this time. Themed “Yunnan: A Many-Splendored Life”, the entire space covering 200,000 square meters consisted of 80 large booths and 264 standard ones. About 580 organizations and companies from all 16 prefectures (and cities) across Yunnan province were involved in the exhibition.
Walking into the exhibition area run by Dali, visitors were primarily attracted by one pavilion inspired by a traditional local yard, which represents Dali’s slow-paced life. People were lured to Lijiang’s pavilion by the performances and Dongba scripts that encapsulate the unique ethnic traditions created by the local residents. Meanwhile, the cultures in Xishuangbanna were demonstrated through a range of elements such as the golden domes of Buddhist temples, the Water Splashing Festival and green peafowls.
Inside the Yunnan Culture and Tourism Pavilion, visitors can genuinely feel the abundance of Yunnan’s tourist resources. Over 200 intangible cultural heritages from China’s 31 provinces (prefectures and municipalities) and Yunnan’s 16 prefectures (and cities) were exhibited. As many as 10 travel routes themed intangible cultural heritages also drew people’s attention.
At the Yunnan Cultural Tourism Investment Promotion Event, over 120 key investment projects around the innovation of tourist products, business models and services were launched, with an overall investment of approximately 170 billion yuan. Meanwhile, more than 60 tourism-related projects were signed, covering fields such as academic research, outdoor sports, cultural tourism as well as senior tourism.
A series of relevant tourist products were published during another event focusing on the outcomes created by the China-Laos Railway International Cultural Tourism and Economic Belt.
The CITM, as a product of not only China but global wisdom, has already become a magnet to all participants from different regions involved in the tourism industry as well as a strong propeller to the high-quality development of world tourism.
Editing by Guo Yao; translating by Wang Jingzhong; proofreading by Wang Huan and Wang Shixue (Yunnan Daily)