Host province delights attendees with range of cultural attractions

With the 22nd General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization taking place in Chengdu, Sichuan province last week, the high-profile event has put the host city into the limelight and as a prime international tourist destination.

Sichuan is home to more than 4,000 scenic and cultural heritage sites, including about 400 international or national-level attractions.

Its capital, Chengdu, has made National Geographic Traveler's list of 21 must-see destinations for 2017. Chengdu reported 20 percent compound annual growth in tourist numbers from 2009 to 2016, ranking the city No 2 worldwide after Osaka, Japan, according to data from Mastercard.

Sichuan has experienced average annual tourism growth of around 20 percent in recent years.

The province received 630 million visits last year - roughly equivalent to the total number of tourists visiting Europe - generating 770.5 billion yuan ($116.88 billion) in revenue.

"Sichuan has made a great leap forward in terms of tourism infrastructure construction, related products and business development in recent years," said Fu Yonglin, director of the province's Tourism Development Commission.

"As tourism has become a pillar sector of the local economy, the province is striding toward its goal of developing itself into a key global tourist destination," Fu said.

"Sichuan needs an opportunity to showcase its new tourism image, and to seek cooperation and development. The 22nd UNWTO General Assembly provides such a platform," he said.

During the event, the province promoted its rich tourism resources to the world. It presented a select group of 120 tourism projects, seeking more than 685 billion yuan in combined investment.

Giant panda-themed products such as toys, lanterns and bags; Sichuan cuisines; intangible cultural heritage items, including Shuxiu embroidery; and information on an array of attractions on display represented Sichuan's charm to visitors.

The host city arranged four trips for participants, providing a glimpse into local major attractions.

The sites visited included the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, an ancient district named Kuanzhai Alley, a former residency of the renowned poet Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Dujiangyan irrigation system, which was built more than 2,200 years ago and is still in service, and the Wuhou Shrine Museum in memory of Zhuge Liang, a noted strategist during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280).

Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of UNWTO, said participants were impressed with Sichuan and Chengdu, and that they are all now ambassadors of the host province and city, promoting both in their respective countries after returning to their homelands.

UNWTO's bond with Sichuan dates back to 1988, when the international organization sent an expert panel to the province. The team helped to formulate a tourism development blueprint for the province, the first of its kind in the country.

Chengdu was named one of the best tourism cities in China in 2006 by the China National Tourism Administration and UNWTO.

After the severe earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan in 2008, UNWTO conducted in-depth research into the province's tourism and helped with its recovery plans.

In addition to the UNWTO conference, Sichuan has launched a series of other tourism promotional events.

One of them is an annual marketing campaign named "Beautiful China, more than China", which started in March and will last through to November.

Nepal, Australia, the United States, Mexico, the Czech Republic, Japan, South Korea and Thailand are all on this year's itinerary.

Inspired by the city's 72-hour visa-free policy, a separate yet complementary event named "72 Hours in Sichuan" invited panda lovers from around the globe to the province.

US model Lacey Claire Rogers was the first guest of the program. She visited the province in May, learned traditional Chinese calligraphy, tasted tea and other local specialties, played mahjong, and tried out other local customs.

The rich culture wowed her with its unique charm. Rogers said she expects to visit the province again in the near future and will share her Sichuan stories with other panda fans.

(China Daily 09/23/2017 page10)