ACC Actively Participated in 2017 China International Tourism Mart

From 17 to 19 November2017, China International Tourism Mart (CITM) was held in Dian Chi Convention & Exhibition Center, Kunming, Yunnan province. Mr. Wei Hongtao, Deputy Director-General of China National Tourism Administration, Mr. Ruan Chengfa, Governor of Yunnan Province and Mr. Ounthouang Khaophanh, Vice Minister of - Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. Mr. Chen Kesong, official from Education, Culture,and Tourism Division of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), attended the opening ceremony and exchanged views with participants.

In his speech, Mr. Wei Hongtao said that with the strong support of the tourism industry at home and abroad, after nearly 20 years of development and reform, CITM has become Asia's largest and most influential comprehensive tourism exhibition. It has set up an important platform for countries and regions to display and promote tourism resources and trade tourism products. He believed that CITM will become a grand event for the international tourism industry and bring new business opportunities for the tourism industry at home and abroad. Mr. Ruan Chengfa said that Yunnan with long history, rich culture and beautiful landscapes is a popular tourism destination at home and abroad. The tourism has always been regarded as a pillar and characteristic industry by Yunnan to cultivate and develop in which deepening the opening-up and cooperation of tourism is a priority. Yunnan is the province in West China attracting the most tourists He sincerely hopes that CITM would be a grand event with fruitful achievements and win-win result in promoting Chinese culture, demonstrating the charm of Yunnan, deepening exchanges and cooperation, and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.

This year’s CITM is jointly hosted by China National Tourism Administration, China National Administration of Civil Aviation and People’s Government of Yunnan province. Exhibitors from 71 countries and regions set up nearly 1,700 booths in exhibition area that totaled more than 70,000 square meters. ACC with ASEAN Secretariat took part in the exhibition to promote ASEAN tourism resources under the theme of "Travel to ASEAN". The setting-up featured with ASEAN attractions, such as interactive photography, received popularity . During the exhibition, ACC distributed - nearly 10,000 copies of promotional materials, travel brochures and sightseeing maps that attracted a large number of visitors and made a positive effort to promote ASEAN-China tourism cooperation.