The 5th Sichuan International Travel Expo opened in Leshan, a city in China’s Sichuan province, on September 7. Deputy Party Secretary and Governor of Sichuan Province Yin Li attended the opening ceremony and inaugurated the expo. In addition, more than 3,000 industry leaders and guests from travel organizations in 58 countries and regions, including the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Nepal, the ASEAN-China Center and the China Tourism Association, were present at the opening ceremony.
The expo is one of the three major themed expos held under the aegis of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee and the Sichuan Provincial Government, and one of the most important annual travel industry events in Sichuan province. Previously, Leshan had successfully hosted first four editions of the expo.
Leshan, the permanent venue for the Sichuan International Travel Expo, will implement the development plan put forth by the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee. By acting on a proposal submitted by Party Secretary of Sichuan Province Peng Qinghua that calls for a revitalization of the city through tourism and by strengthening its existing industries, Leshan plans to bring its tourism sector up to international standards through a combination of rebuilding and reshaping key public spaces, implementing a series of structural adjustments, upgrading the quality of services and cleaning up the environment, while incorporating the province’s regional development strategy which emphasizes a high level of cooperation between the districts and counties that make up the city’s administrative divisions as well as collaboration with travel organizations both within China and abroad. Leshan will take full advantage of its rich historical background, good ecological environment and solid industrial foundation to develop its tourism sector, in a move to integrate its cultural points of interest with its tourism resources, expand capacity by building hotels and other facilities that service travelers, improve the quality of existing services and bring together the city’s natural and man-made assets to create a travel destination that will appeal to a diverse tourism audience. Leshan will utilize the Sichuan International Travel Expo as an important platform to promote the high-quality development of its tourism sector and accelerate its development as an international-caliber tourism destination.
SOURCE: Sichuan Provincial Tourism Development Committee
