"One Belt and One Road" draws a new blueprint for Suzhou tourism
( TRAVEL SILKROAD )
Updated: 2015-04-23
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On April 11, the Jiangsu Province Tourism Administration held a press conference for the 'Silk Road Tour Route and Promotion Conference of Recommending Spring and Silk Travel in Suzhou City'.
With the strategic opportunity of the "Silk Road Economic Belt" and "21st-Century Maritime Silk Road", Suzhou has the opportunity to show the world its traditional silk art of Suzhou embroidery and Song brocade. As a result, Suzhou has launched a series of boutique "Silk Road" tour routes with silk culture as the link. It has also combined closely with silk culture and Suzhou tourism to attract international attention.
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A silk show at the promotion conference of "Silk Road" Tourism [Photo/ Lao Tu] |
The idea of building a "Silk Road Economic Belt" and "21st-Century Maritime Silk Road" is on the one hand an important strategy proposed by the Party Central Committee on a national level and a significant suggestion conforming to the international development trend and both domestic and international situation, which will definitely inject a new energy into the ancient Silk Road. To Suzhou, it is especially vital for it to extend opening up and promote cooperation.
Owing to the slowing down of economy in recent years and a reduction of "the three public" expenses, the tourist industry in Suzhou has been increasing slowly. According to data released by the Tourism Administration of Suzhou, tourism in Suzhou had a year-on-year increase of 17 percent in 2012. In 2013, tourism increased by 14 percent. Facing to the gradual slowing down of tourism growth, Suzhou has a bright prospect to draw a new blueprint of tourism with the strategic opportunity of "One Belt, One Road Initiative".
Putting "One Belt and One Road" Industry Cooperation into Practice
How can Suzhou interact with the national strategy to bring about a new development of its tourism industry? The most important thing is to seize the national initiative and put industry cooperation with the "One Belt, One Road Initiative" into practice. The ancient Silk Road is a road of commercial trade and cooperation between countries along the road. At present, Suzhou has maintained good trade and economic cooperation relations with 16 countries in along the "One Belt and One Road" and ASEAN countries. It is also the sister city of over 10 cities along the "One Belt and One Road". This lays the foundation for Suzhou to form "benefit communities" with each district and city, realizing mutual benefits.
Suzhou must take advantage of this foundation and move forward. Internally, it should give great impetus to reform and innovation of its tourism industry. Externally, it must continue its efforts in opening up, explore the potential to cooperate with all counties along the Silk Road, attract foreign investment, encourage the international cooperation of domestic companies and form tourist cooperation in all parts Asia and in Europe. Simultaneously, Suzhou must further cooperation to make progress in silk resources and cultural exchanges.
Making silk culture flourish with the help of the "One Belt, One Road Initiative"
Since ancient times, Suzhou silk has had a close connection with the Silk Road. Suzhou has a reputation of being the "Home of silk" and the city is the birthplace of both Song brocade. Suzhou embroidery also ranks first among the four most famous embroideries in China.
As early as 2,500 years ago, Jiangsu silk was transported around different parts of the world through both the Maritime Silk Road and the overland Silk Road. Suzhou became the significant birthplace of silk culture, history, and trade.
More recently, silk has even featured on the city card of Suzhou. In the Informal APEC Economic Leaders' Meetings in 2014, the "new Chinese-style outfits" worn by the participating leaders and their spouses showed the extraordinary charm of Song brocade and helped spread Chinese tradition and culture, surprising the whole world.
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Silk Show at Promotion Conference of "Silk Road" Tourism [Photo/Lao Tu] |
Suzhou silk is faced with a new opportunity. Take the express of "One Belt and One Road" to combine the silk culture and market consumption demand; keep the competitive power of the traditional silk and textile industry with an international vision; reinforce the independent innovation and create an independent brand to spread the unique Chinese silk culture all around the world. All of these actions will be significant for Suzhou silk to move towards globalization.
Seeking Enrichment in the transmission of "One Belt and One Road"
As the tourist industry in Suzhou slows down, it has become imperative to seek enrichment and develop other creative actions. The Suzhou Party Secretary has mentioned that the development of the tourist industry in Suzhou doesn't match its tourism resource, economic status, and urban popularity. There remains a gap between Suzhou and other domestic advanced regions in terms of tourism and the abundant tourism resources in Suzhou waits to be exploited, the tourism brand needs to be promoted, and the tourism development has a great potentiality to flourish.
To exploit the development potentiality of Suzhou tourism, an effective way is to seek a breakthrough in the "One Belt and One Road" strategy. The Suzhou Tourism Administration has seized the opportunity to push out the 5 boutique "Silk Road" travel routes. As one of China's first batch of websites and a network media themed with Silk Road, 'travel-silkroad.com' has been invited to the colloquium held by the Jiangsu Tourism Administration about Suzhou tourism development.
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Zhu Guoqiang (L), Director of the Suzhou Tourist Administration, receives the Press Corps of Wild China. [Photo by: Lao Tu] |
The Tourism Administration pushes out 5 boutique "Silk Road" tour routes of which "the silk is as boundless as snow, weaving a peace in the world" is a silk-experiencing tour managed by the Tourism Administration of Wujiang District, Suzhou. It is linked with silk culture and set in the background of ancient town. The tour includes visits to the silk pavilion, Song brocade cultural park, silk expo, silk market, and silk companies, exhibiting the silk culture and silk craftsmanship, and showing Suzhou's silk products and culture to both domestic and foreign tourists.
Such tour actions are only warm-ups. With the building of Land and Maritime Silk Road Economic Belt, Suzhou is putting effort to growing into a vital tourist city in Silk Road Economic Belt so as to accelerate the new development of Suzhou's economy.
Cultural exchange and cooperation is the major content of building "One Belt and One Road". To all related areas in Asia and Europe, it will be greatly beneficial to bring act cooperation in tourism, trade, and finance field with the help of cultural communication. As for Suzhou, with the safeguard of industry cooperation and background of silk culture, it should make full use of its advantages to popularize Suzhou culture in the international world. A new blueprint of Suzhou tourism is just around the corner.