On 7 December 2017, the 2nd Bama Forum, specifically named 2017 ASEAN-China Traditional Medicine and Health Tourism International Forum, was held in Bama, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The Bama Forum was co-hosted by China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM), and the People’s Government of Guangxi. ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) is the supporter of this forum. Mr. Zhang Xiaoqin, Vice Governor of Guangxi, and Mr. Wang Xiaofeng, Deputy Director General of CNTA, were invited to attend the Opening Ceremony and delivered remarks. Mr. Chen Kesong, Tourism Officer of ACC, participated in the forum.
Mr. Zhang Xiaoqin said that it is spiritual pursuit of human society to respect nature and achieve the harmonious development of Man and Nature. Since ancient times, China has attached great importance to health care, and the traditional medicine industry has been developing for thousands of years. Containing rich natural ecological resources for health care and longevity, the proportion of centenarians in population of Bama ranked the first among the world’s top five places that are known for longest living residents. Since the Han dynasty, Chinese medicine has spread to Southeast Asia and gradually become characteristic medicines through combining with the local traditional medicine. In recent years, Guangxi tourism and health care industry witnesses rapid development. Various new healthcare businesses emerged. Several influential brands of health care tourism are launched. Several new-type health and medical tourism zones are established. Some medical demonstrative industrial zones are developed under the cooperation between ASEAN countries and Guangxi. It is estimated that by 2020, the output value of traditional Chinese medicine tourism industry would reach RMB 400 million. He sincerely hoped that delegates will deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road initiative to jointly promote the integration of medical resources with the tourism industry.
On behalf of CNTA, Mr. Wang Xiaofeng congratulated the forum and praised that the forum is an innovative move to deepen national tourism cooperation between China and ASEAN, and also a pragmatic move to jointly implement the Belt and Road initiative. He said that China and ASEAN enjoy a long history of development of traditional medicine and generations of famous doctors coming forth in large numbers, all of which have formed a unique medical culture and become an important and attractive tourism resource. At present, tourism has become an important approach and innovative carrier to display the history of traditional medicine, spread traditional medical culture and develop the traditional medicine industry. It comes up with the trend of combining the traditional medicine with modern tourism. In 2016, CNTA and SATCM jointly issued the Guidance on Promoting the Development of Health Care Tourism of Chinese Medicine that focused on fostering a health care tourism consumer market, improving the supply of health care tourism products and optimizing the health care tourism policy environment. On the health care tourism cooperation between China and ASEAN, he made three suggestions: protecting and consolidating the basis of cooperation, promoting win-win result and increasing willingness to cooperate, and innovating ways to broaden the area of cooperation. With the opportunity of Bama Forum, CNTA would work closely with ASEAN countries to promote mutual exchanges and share achievements so as to promote health care tourism cooperation between the two sides to a larger scale, wider areas and higher levels, to promote connectivity of policy, trade, people, and to witness the win-win result of the Belt and Road initiative.
The Opening Ceremony also adopted Bama Forum: World Health and Longevity Cooperation Council proposal, released the “Longevity Bama” trademark, held the Signing Ceremony of the investment and cooperation projects of Bama international longevity tourism areas.
As one of the series of high level forum under the framework of China-ASEAN Expo, the Bama forum has been held every two years since 2015. This year’s, forum is the second session. The forum is aimed at the discussion on the promotion of traditional medicine and its combination with health tourism, and the promotion of the brand image and market influence of traditional medicine health tourism. Over 350 delegates from National Tourism Organizations, National Chinese Medicine Organizations, tourism and medicine industries, relevant stakeholders and media in China, ASEAN Member States, U.S., Britain, Japan and Canada, etc. attended the Opening Ceremony. The participants talked freely, shared experience and explored the new pattern, new path and new method in a warm atmosphere.
During the event, Mr. Chen Kesong exchanged views extensively with the guests and actively briefed on ACC’s mandate and work undertaken in the field of tourism in 2017. Representatives from some of China's municipalities and provinces and ASEAN countries stated that they would further strengthen ties and jointly with ACC promote practical cooperation between China and ASEAN nations to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results.
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