Multiple global tourism events descend on city

Three tourism industry events with international influence are being held in Guilin this week, once again bringing the renowned tourist destination in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region into the spotlight.

Held from Oct 20 to 22, the 2016 China-ASEAN Expo tourism exhibition in Guilin is an important part of the renowned trade show for China and Southeast Asian countries.

According to Chen Lihua, deputy mayor of Guilin, delegates from more than 50 countries and regions, including all of the 10 ASEAN member countries, about 800 exhibiting companies and over 300 professional buyers from both China and abroad will attend this year's event.

She said the show will offer a range of activities focusing on the theme of "building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and forging a China-ASEAN tourism commonwealth".

For instance, a China-ASEAN tourism sector working group meeting will be held for the first time during this year's show, with industry officials from both sides talking about the possibility for a China-ASEAN tourism commonwealth: A multilateral mechanism for deepening tourism cooperation in the region.

There will also be a series of shows, including exhibitions for overseas tourism, China's tourism, Guangxi's tourism and tourism products.

The nearly 800 exhibitors will display their services and products in an exhibition space of 23,000 square meters. About 6,000 professional visitors are expected to attend the exhibition.

Cambodia is the guest of honor at this year's exhibition, as the country will hold a range of promotional events for its tourism industry.

According to Chen, tourism has been an important area for China-ASEAN cooperation. China and ASEAN countries have been important tourist sources and destination markets for each other.

The China-ASEAN Expo tourism exhibition was first held in Guilin in September 2015, attracting about 600 exhibitors from 50 countries and regions, and 29 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization and the Pacific Asia Travel Association are organizing the 10th UNWTO/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook from Oct 20 to 22. This year's forum will be the 10th anniversary, organized under the theme of "Tourism in 10 years: Looking back to look forward".

The Guilin UNWTO/PATA forum provides an annual pan-Asia-Pacific platform for policy makers, senior officials, researchers and industry representatives to take stock of global and regional trends, and to better understand their potential impacts on tourism, according to the organizers.

The event, under the joint umbrella of UNWTO and PATA, allows participants to share information, analyze the current tourism environment and map out a course of action for the future.

At the event, foreign and domestic experts will contribute their suggestions on the development of Guilin's tourism industry. They will discuss such topics as cross-regional and cross-industry tourism, and the role of tourism in poverty alleviation. They will also have research tours of the city's major tourist attractions.

In conjunction with the 10th Guilin forum, the fifth Annual Conference of UNWTO Sustainable Tourism Observatories in China will also be held in Guilin on Oct 20 and 21.

UNWTO selected Guilin's Yangshuo county 10 years ago as its first observatory for tourist destinations in China.

In addition to the tourism exhibition and Guilin forum, the city is also holding a tourism festival from Oct 19 to 22 to entertain tourists from China and abroad.

The festival encourages the participation of both tourists and local residents, according to the event's organizers.

A parade that features the ancient and modern aspects of Guilin and cultural exchanges between China and the world is the major event of the festival.

Artists from the rest of China, South Korea and Zambia, as well as local artists in Guilin presented their own cultures during the parade in the evening of Oct 19.

In addition, there will be a show of calligraphy, paintings and photos, a beer and food gala, and a business fair for companies from China and abroad.

(China Daily 10/20/2016 page6)