Rich tourism resources put Sichuan on world stage

Updated: October 19, 2017 Source: China Daily
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Unique scenery and diverse history draws international recognition, Yuan Shenggao reports.

Relying on its rich natural resources and cultural legacy, Sichuan province is set to be an international tourist destination in the near future, according to a senior official.

"In recent years, Sichuan's tourism industry has maintained robust growth in terms of infrastructure and related products," said Fu Yonglin, director of the province's tourism development commission.

"We should seize the opportunities to showcase Sichuan's new tourism image to the world and explore more cooperation possibilities," he said.

Sichuan possesses vast tourism resources, with 4,000 scenic spots such as Mount Emei, Jiuzhai Valley and Dujiangyan, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

In September, the United Nations World Tourism Organization General Assembly was held in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. It was the first of its kind in western China.

The event attracted more than 1,000 representatives from 137 countries and 41 international organizations.

Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of UNWTO, said that the assembly was a milestone for the organization and the development of the global tourism industry as a whole.

"The participants serve as global ambassadors of Sichuan's charm," he said.

The Chengdu Initiative on Tourism Cooperation along the Belt and Road was issued by the China National Tourism Administration and UNWTO during the general assembly.

The initiative aims to enhance countries' collaboration on tourism, including traveling in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, policy communications, establishing institutions, joint promotions, exchanges and risk management.

In 2006, UNWTO joined hands with the China National Tourism Administration to recognize Chengdu as "the best travel city in China", and built a center to monitor the city's sustainable development.

China also launched the World Tourism Alliance during the event. It is the first non-governmental and non-profit comprehensive international tourism organization based in Chengdu.

The alliance aims to be a platform for agencies and individuals to share their experiences and strengthen mutual understanding, in order to realize sustainable and inclusive worldwide development.

It has 89 founding members, including Germany, France, the United States, South Africa, Brazil and Australia.

Duan Qiang, president of the World Tourism Alliance, said more members will join the organization and it is likely to attract many companies and institutions with the region's abundant resources.

Zurab Pololikashvili, the incoming UNWTO general-secretary, said that the World Tourism Alliance is closely allied to the UN organization, and the two parties will deepen their cooperation in many key fields.

"The organization and publicity of this general assembly has been quite impressive. I hope the UNWTO will host such big events in Chengdu again under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative," he said.

GLOBAL EVENTS

In addition to the general assembly, Sichuan province has also launched activities around the world. Panda-themed events are taking place from March to November in countries including the United States, Mexico, Australia, Nepal, Japan and Thailand.

The events, organized by the Tourism Development Commission and Commerce Department of Sichuan, focus on the province's renowned local food and traditions.

Last year, the province's total revenue from tourism hit 770.5 billion yuan ($116.93 billion), with 630 million visitors making a trip to the region. Sichuan will create guidelines for 10 tourist destinations to comprehensively promote their global competitiveness, including Chengdu, Jiuzhai Valley, Mount Emei, Shangri-La, Sichuan-Tibet Railway, Panxi area, Dabashan, Shudao and the south Sichuan region.

Sichuan will accelerate the production of green tourist products and has established 10 tour routes, which include world heritage sites in Jiuhuan, cultural ecological holiday resorts in Leshan and a panda-related environmental culture.

Editor: zhangjunmian