Tourism Industry Expo in Western China Held in Chongqing

On June 19-21, the first Tourism Industry Expo in Western China was held in Chongqing International Convention Center.

On 19, Bo Xilai, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee attended the opening ceremony and visited the exhibition hall. Shao Qiwei, chairman of the National Tourism Administration and honorary director of the Expo Organizing Committee of the western tourism industry, and Wang Hongju, mayor of Chongqing Municipality and honorary director of the Expo Organizing Committee of the western tourism industry attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Zhang Baoxin, member of Shanxia administration office of the Party Group under the State Council, Chen Quanxun, member of the Counselors' Office of the State Council and Wang Zhifa, vice chairman of the National Tourism Administration attended the ceremony. Tan Qiwei, vice mayor of Chongqing Municipality, hosted the opening ceremony. Leaders from 11 western provinces or regions attended the opening ceremony including Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Tibet, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang. Representatives of Beijing Municipal Government, Tourism Administration of Shanghai, Tianjin and Guangdong, as well as tourism enterprises at home and abroad also attended the Expo.

Themed on “Colorful west”, this Western Tourism Expo was the first high-profile and large-scale tourism summit, and was held by 12 provinces and regions in the west. The main Expo site covers over 40,000 square meters, with a full participation of all the western provinces, regions and cities. 12 provinces and cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian and others responded actively. Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore and China’s Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and other regions were also involved in this tourism event. The China National Tourism Administration and Chongqing Municipality signed an agreement on making overall plans combining urban and rural areas to advance the tourism in Chongqing. Activities during the event include the following: the top forum of the economic development of Yangtze River cruises and yachts; the top forum of the tourism development in the west and contract-signing ceremony; the 14th Three Gorges International Tourism Festival of Chongqing; the propaganda and consultation activities of China's western tourism products; the kick-off ceremony of the Chongqing people touring the west, and so on.