Experts on Both Side of Taiwan Strait Make Suggestions Two Years After PITI Was Approved

“In 2017, the total tourism revenue of Fujian Province exceeded 500 billion yuan, 14 percentage points higher than the average domestic level. In the past five years, Pingtan received tourists at an average annual growth rate of 23.6%, and the total annual tourism revenue increased by 43.4%.” On the 8th, Wu Liguan, deputy director of the Fujian Tourism Development Committee, said on the 2018 Seminar on Pingtan International Tourism Island.

From August 8th to 9th, on the occasion of the 2nd anniversary of the approval of “Pingtan International Tourism Island Construction Scheme” by the State Council, the 2018 Seminar on Pingtan International Tourism Island was held in Pingtan.

More than 800 people from relevant leaders of Fujian Province, leaders of industry competent department, national experts and scholars of tourism, representatives of culture and tourism industry, elites of financial capital industry, large online tourism service providers etc. gathered to discuss more about the integration development road of Pingtan tourism, further activating Pingtan tourism resources and related industries, promoting supply-side structural reform of marine tourism under the new environment, and seeking a way for the development of Pingtan International Tourism Island.

Lin Shunjie, deputy director of Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone Management Committee said that how to promote the internationalization, branding and specialization of the International Tourism Island, how to exploit the advantages to Taiwan to the full and expand opening up, how to optimize the tourism development environment, how to accelerate the development of industries and products, and how to improve the level of tourism services, is still an urgent challenge that the construction of Pingtan International Tourism Island faces.

Li Zhongguang, deputy dean of China Tourism Research Institute, said that marine tourism destinations are the most popular tourist destinations among Chinese and foreign tourists. However, China's marine tourism is highly homogenized. People feel sea breeze, bath in the sea, admire sea view and eating seafood wherever they go. The principle of future marine tourism development should be connecting land and sea, integrating culture and travel, overall planning, and node radiation. The development of Pingtan International Tourism Island can make good use of the elements of the Strait, lead the construction of a strong ocean tourism country, and lead the long-term development of the Strait region.

Zhang Hui, deputy director of the Expert Committee of the World Tourism Cities Federation, director of the Tourism Department of Beijing Jiaotong University, and special government allowance expert of the State Council, suggested that Pingtan should change the concept of living city and to a concept of tourism city in terms of urban construction. For township construction, characteristic towns and tourist towns should be constructed. Pingtan's own conditions are good for the construction of a holiday tourism destination. Holiday tourism requires a combination of star hotels, express hotels and modern homestays. Therefore, Pingtan has to carry out a large-scale and vigorous accommodation industry revolution to create a High quality international resort island.

“Cultural tourism in Pingtan has unlimited potential.” Zhuang Jinhua, a well-known scholar in Taiwan and the operator of the Ten Billion of Tung Blossoms Festival, said that Pingtan should give more thought in making use of resources of natural conditions and social customs. The so-called resources of natural conditions and social customs are a unique element in the local area. Only by identifying the most unique local resources that can communicate and resonate with consumers, and to build it into urban tourism IP, can we expand the core value of cultural tourism.