The International Forum on 2017 China-ASEAN Traditional Medicine and Health Tourism is being held in Bama Yao autonomous county, Hechi from Dec 6 to 9.

The forum is organized by the National Tourism Administration, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the Guangxi government. More than 350 entrepreneurs, experts and scholars from China, ASEAN countries, the United States, and Japan are invited to discuss the sustainable development strategies for traditional medicine and health tourism.

Themed "Big Health, Big Tourism", the forum is listening to different voices on a series of subjects including cooperation between health care institutions and travel agencies, construction of a demonstration zone for TCM health tourism, how the Belt & Road Initiative promotes the cooperation between traditional medicine and tourism industry, and the latest trends of international health industry.

The International Forum on 2017 China-ASEAN Traditional Medicine and Health Tourism is being held in Bama Yao autonomous county, Hechi from Dec 6 to 9. [Photo by He Yunbin/chinadaily.com.cn]

Health tourism in China and ASEAN countries has great potential, said Lin Jialai, a member of the Expert Committee of the United Nations Development Programme, who suggested that local government host tourism-related exhibitions and expositions and make Bama a well-known destination enjoyed by people worldwide.

According to Wang Xiaofeng, deputy chief of the National Tourism Administration, the Bama forum offers a great opportunity to bring the cooperation with ASEAN countries to a higher level to achieve win-win results proposed by the Belt & Road Initiative.

Dr Tun Myint Aye, a Burmese official from the Traditional Medicine Division of Ministry of Health and Sports, extended his hopes that China can share its traditional medical skills like acupuncture and "tuina" with Burma, allowing more people to benefit from TCM.

According to Dr Moeung Vannarom, director of the Traditional Medicine Center of the Ministry of Health of Cambodia, its TCM Research Center has already forged a partnership with Guangxi Medicinal Herb Garden. The two sides will ramp up their cooperation in health tourism this year with the launch of a TCM joint-research lab.

Wang Jian, president of Shenzhen-based BGI made a speech as a business representative, saying that Shenzhen and Guangxi are building a China-ASEAN genetic technology center with the Bama-BGI longevity research institute as a branch. The institute will conduct research into the key to Bama people's longevity and further promote the development of health tourism.

Wang Jian, president of Shenzhen-based BGI makes a speech as a business representative. [Photo by He Yunbin/chinadaily.com.cn]

The establishment of a world longevity cooperation council was also proposed at the opening ceremony. The Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry & Commerce presented the "Longevity Bama" certificate as evidence of trademark registration to the local government.

More than 10 deals worth some 36 billion yuan ($5.44 billion) were clinched at the signing ceremony for a Bama longevity & healthcare international tourist area. An industrial cluster is expected to take shape in the area in the future, playing to the strengths and integrating resources of all parties.

The Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry & Commerce presents the "Longevity Bama" certificate as evidence of trademark registration to the local government. [Photo by He Yunbin/chinadaily.com.cn]