Chengdu's star rising in the world of tourism

As host city of the 22nd General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization from Sept 11-16, Chengdu, Sichuan province, won wide acclaim for its rich cultural and tourism resources.

Calling Chengdu one of the most dynamic and passionate cities in China, Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of UNWTO, said the event was not held there by accident.

It was "the right time and right place," he added.

China's status has been rising in the international community in recent years and its influence has increased in the global tourism sector, he said.

As a result, when China proposed hosting the event, all UNWTO member countries agreed to it.

Chengdu was chosen to play host to the event because of both the recommendation by the China National Tourism Administration and the city's unique charm, Rifai revealed.

The city once served as one of UNWTO's observation locations for research into sustainable tourism development. It has been designated one of the best tourism cities in China by UNWTO and the CNTA.

Hosting the UNWTO general assembly would undoubtedly help reinforce Chengdu's already prime position in the world of tourism, Rifai said.

The more than 1,000 participants will now probably be ambassadors of Chengdu to promote its going global, he added.

Zurab Pololikashvili, the next UNWTO chief, who takes office in January 2018, said he was very impressed with Chengdu's hospitality while hosting the UNWTO gathering.

The city is an extremely popular tourist destination because of its rich heritage and scenic sites, Pololikashvili said.

Ali Padron, Venezuela's vice-minister of tourism, said he was particularly impressed with the clean and pleasant environment of the city.

The vice-minister said he likes jogging in the morning and during his stay in Chengdu, he enjoyed running along the streets immensely, at least three to four times.

While he was running, he found the streets exceptionally clean, he recalled.

Padron said that when it comes to Chengdu, people tend to think its giant pandas.

But when he was there, he found the city provided an extraordinary array of other tourism products and experiences - notable among them are its history, culture and natural beauty.

The friendly climate also added to the charm of the city, Padron said, adding that he was impressed with the hospitality of its residents and the respect they showed to tourists.

Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, the Seychelles' minister for tourism, civil aviation, ports and marine, spoke highly of Chengdu's tourism infrastructure.

The infrastructure, including an advanced airport, is key to the tourism growth, he said.

Chengdu launched direct flights to the Seychelles in July, becoming the second Chinese city to offer such services.

(China Daily 09/28/2017 page10)