Exploring Innovative Approaches and Collaboratively Shaping a Brighter Future for Tourism Partnerships Chongqing International Travel Agent Conference 2023 Kicking Off

The Chongqing International Travel Agent Conference 2023 kicked off on November 21. This conference was co-hosted by Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development and People’s Government of Jiangbei District， Chongqing， organized by Jiangbei District Commission of Culture and Tourism Development and managed by Window for International Exchanges of Chongqing Culture amp; Tourism Co.， Ltd.

Welcoming Guests from Home and Abroad to Foster the Globalization of Chongqing Tourism

With the theme of “Nihao！ CHINA Nihao！ Chongqing”， this conference consists of an array of professional， market-oriented and brand events to have Chongqing’s diverse cultural and tourism features on full display， jointly establish a new mechanism of tourism collaboration and build a prosperous future for international tourism collaboration.

A total of 400 domestic and international guests attended the conference， encompassing 1） officers of foreign embassies and consulates in China from nearly 30 countries; 2） representatives of tourism authorities and international organizations such as the World Tourism Organization （UNWTO） and the Pacific Asia Travel Association （PATA）; 3） representatives of cultural and tourism authorities of provinces， autonomous regions， municipality and cities， such as Sichuan Province， Guizhou Province， Gansu Province， and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region， along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor （ILSTC）; and 4） representatives of international tourism-related companies and airlines.

Hungary is the guest of honor country. H.E. Pesti Máté Imre， Ambassador of Hungary to China， stated in his speech that 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and China. The two countries have maintained their friendly ties and cooperation in these decades. He looked back at productive cooperative projects carried out recently by Hungary and Chongqing， and said that staff of Hungarian State TV had planned to visit China.

Zhu Shanzhong， Ambassador of the UNWTO， suggested that the organization always kept an eye on the tourism development in Chongqing. Chongqing Municipal Government plays an unique and pivotal role in national and regional development as well as opening up， as it is dedicated to building the Center for International Exchanges in Central and Western China of high quality and world-renowned tourist destinations by high standards and hosting International Travel Agent Conferences at high level. These endeavors would help Chongqing go global， and facilitate exchanges， mutual learning， coexistence and shared prosperity with the rest of the world more effectively.

Peter Semone， Chair of PATA， indicated that partnership is critical to tourism success in this dynamic digital era of intense competition. The Chongqing authorities should be applauded for pursuing this partnership with Sichuan. He encouraged company representatives attending the conference to take the example of the Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor and seek opportunities for partnership with players across their companies’ value chain.

During the opening ceremony， Yan Han， Deputy Secretary-General of the World Tourism Cities Federation （WTCF）， Jeong Gang Hoan， President of the International Festivals amp; Events Association （IFEA） Asia， and Zhang Xu， Vice President of Trip.com Group delivered keynote speeches， providing attendees with inspiration and useful reference.

Cooperative Agreements Signed to Help Build World-Renowned Tourist Destinations

At the conference， the International Tourism Cooperation Initiative （Chongqing） Along New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor was introduced. The initiative proposes to reach a new consensus on tourism development， jointly establish a new mechanism of tourism collaboration， create a new landscape of regional tourism， share new ILSTC development opportunities by deepening tourism collaboration along the corridor， enrich high-quality tourism offerings， unleash tourism consumption potential and create a prosperous future for tourism collaboration together.

Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development issued an Incentive Program （2023） for Inbound Tourism Marketing During the 14th Five-Year Plan of Chongqing Municipality. The commission also awarded the first “Chongqing Tourism Promotion Ambassadors” and “First Foreign-Invested Travel Agency in Chongqing”. These individuals and organization will endorse Chongqing tourism by telling China’s stories and making Chongqing’s voice heard， acting as “walking bridges” connecting the rest of the world for Chongqing tourism promotion.

Chongqing has been selected as one of the “2023 Asia-Pacific Three Major Tourism Festival Cities”， alongside Sydney， Australia， and Tongyeong， South Korea， owing to its magical urban night scene and vibrant nighttime economy. The results were made after a multi-dimensional initial evaluation， and field research by IFEA Asia as well as authoritative reviews by domestic and international festivals amp; events experts.

Chongqing’s cultural and tourism authorities and companies signed piles of cooperative agreements with relevant international institutions and agencies， further boosting the global presence of Chongqing’s culture and tourism and exploring new avenues for international tourism collaboration. For example， Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Hainan Airlines， seeking a new pattern for the global marketing of Chongqing’s culture and tourism. Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development and Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Trip.com Group， aiming to jointly facilitate the building of an international consumption center and a world-renowned tourist destination. Chinese and international tourism companies and travel agencies paired up by signing practical cooperation agreements.

At the venue， a photo exhibition of Chongqing culture and tourism displayed local intangible cultural heritage items， encompassing Chongqing Hotpot， Dragon Lantern Caizha Art in Tongliang， Dazu Rock Carvings， Rongchang Pottery， Wulong Sweet Potato Noodles， Liangping Woodblock New-Year Prints， Jiangbei Bamboo Shell Carvings and tea art. Attendees immersed themselves in the cultural and tourism feast of Chongqing.

Roadshow marketing provided tourist destinations， companies and scenic spots with a service platform for presentation， negotiation and product marketing.

Concurrently， the 2023 Chongqing International Tourism Exhibition was held on the Jiangbei Guanyinqiao Pedestrian Street. The exhibition offered citizens a one-stop platform for them to relish the mesmerizing scenery around the world， including themed areas focusing on international tourist destinations， provinces， autonomous regions and municipality， and cities along the ILSTC， “Nihao！ Chongqing” and airlines.

In addition， a two-day field visit on prime tourism products and tourist routes was conducted in Chongqing during the conference. Chinese and international travel agencies， who attended the conference， were invited to visit Wulong， Fuling， Dazu， Hechuan and Tongliang. They immersed themselves in the abundant tourism resources of Chongqing and boosted the development of the local inbound tourism market.

Photo/The Host