On the morning of September 2, 2023, the Global Travel Agents (Tianjin) Conference was successfully held in the National Convention & Exhibition Centre (Tianjin). Zhang Ling, Vice Mayor of Tianjin Municipal People’s Government, officials of relevant departments and bureaus of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the National Immigration Administration, the United Nations World Tourism Organization, envoys of relevant countries in China and other guests attended the Conference and delivered speeches.

Global Travel Industry Leaders Gather on the Shore of Haihe River in Tianjin and Win Praise from All Sides

As the organizer of the Conference, Sun Bo, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Trip.com Group, said in his speech that in recent years, Tianjin’s investment in culture, tourism and sports has continued to increase, and the quality of tourism services and facilities has also been improving. Along with the sustained recovery of global tourism market and the major turning point of the domestic inbound tourism market, Trip.com Group will join hands with all concerned parties to constantly promote Tianjin’s cultural tourism industry, China’s inbound tourism and the global tourism market to a new stage of high-quality recovery.

Photo: Sun Bo, Chief Marketing Officer of Trip.com Group, is delivering a speech

Zhang Ling, Vice Mayor of Tianjin Municipal People’s Government (the host of the Conference), emphasized in her speech that through the successful holding of the Conference, the guests of leading enterprises in the global tourism industry would gather together to build a platform for Tianjin to connect the world and attract investment, to promote the coordinated development of cultural tourism, exhibition and conference, business and other industries, to integrate global cultural tourism resources, and to promote the high-quality development of tourism.

Photo: Zhang Ling, Vice Mayor of Tianjin Municipal People’s Government, is delivering a speech

In his speech, Miao Muyang, Director of the Industrial Development Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said that with the attention and support of the Tianjin Municipal Committee and Municipal Government, the city made full use of its rich historical and natural cultural resources to promote the transformation and upgrading of the tourism industry and enrich its format. Next, the Department of Industrial Development of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will continue to promote the iterative upgrading of tourism products and services, and work with relevant departments to effectively improve the level of inbound tourism facilitation, increase publicity and promotion and international cooperation, so as to welcome visitors from all over the world with better products and services and a more open and inclusive attitude.

Photo: Miao Muyang, Director General of the Industrial Development Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is delivering a speech

Since August 30, 2023, people coming to China do not need to be tested for COVID-19 nucleic acid or antigen before entering the country. China’s inbound tourism market will also usher in new development opportunities. At the Conference, officials from the Foreigners Management Department of the National Immigration Administration, interpreted the regional entry visa-free, transit visa-free and port visa policies, and introduced the policies and measures to facilitate foreign tourists to come to China, which were warmly welcomed by Chinese and foreign travellers at the Conference.

Photo: Mao Xu, Director of the Foreigners Management Department of the National Immigration Administration, is delivering a speech

Moreover, foreign diplomatic envoys to China and heads of relevant national ministries and departments also gave positive comments on Tianjin’s efforts in disseminating Chinese culture, telling China’s stories and Tianjin’s stories well. In his speech, Anura Fernando, Consul General of Sri Lanka in Shanghai, expressed that Tianjin is a city that not only retains ancient memories, but also nurtures hope for the future. We hope to join hands with the port cities of Sri Lanka to create a new atmosphere of recovery.

Photo: Anura Fernando, the Consul General of Sri Lanka in Shanghai, is delivering a speech

Zhu Shanzhong, Ambassador of the UNWTO, fully affirmed Tianjin’s acceleration of the building of an international consumer centre. He said that in recent years, Tianjin has promoted the overall expansion, quality improvement and increment of the industry through the linkage of “business, culture and tourism” resources. The holding of the Global Travel Agents (Tianjin) Conference would help build a broad platform for cooperation among tourism enterprises, expand Tianjin’s international visibility and show the world Chinese culture and Tianjin’s charm.

Photo: UNWTO Ambassador Zhu Shanzhong is delivering a speech

In recent years, Tianjin has actively built itself into an international consumer centre, created an international “design capital” and enhanced its international image, earning the recognition from the UNWTO. Sarah Wang, Regional Director for Asia at WTTC, said that Tianjin is a national historical and cultural city and an excellent tourist city in China. With both profound historical and cultural heritage and beautiful scenery of the Haihe River, the hospitality and humour of Tianjin people have become a welcome ticket, attracting tourists from home and abroad.

Photo: Sarah Wang, Regional Director for Asia at WTTC, is delivering a speech

Experts Make Suggestions on the New Development of Tianjin Cultural Tourism to Promote “Tianjin’s Stories” to the World

Dai Bin, President of China Tourism Academy and Director of Data Centre of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, pointed out in his keynote speech entitled “Tourism Policies and Priorities in Recovery Stage” that with the quick recovery of tourism market on the demand side, tourism policies should focus on supply chain reconstructing and industrial ecosystem cultivation. At present, Tianjin attaches unprecedented importance to tourism and has made unprecedented determination to promote the integration and development of cultural tourism. It is expected that under the leadership of CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee and Tianjin Municipal People’s Government, with the promotion of Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism and numerous tourism enterprises, Tianjin’s cultural and tourism industry will gather new momentum for industrial development and shape a new pattern of high-quality development under the background of new opportunities in the international tourism market.

Photo: Dai Bin, President of China Tourism Academy, is delivering a keynote speech

Zhang Lingyun, a professor from Beijing International Studies University, said in his keynote speech entitled “Cultivating International Consumer Cities, and Promoting the Development of Inbound Tourism” that international consumer cities should be in line with international standards in terms of development concept, brand building, image dissemination and tourist market. Benefiting from historical and cultural background to build an international consumer city, Tianjin will step up to a new level in building an international consumer city through diversified cooperation between governments and enterprises.

Photo: Zhang Lingyun, a professor from Beijing International Studies University, is delivering a keynote speech

Officials of the National Immigration Administration were specially invited to the Conference to interpret regional entry visa-free polices, transit visa-free policies, and port visa policies, and introduced specific measures to facilitate foreign tourists to come to China, which were warmly welcomed by Chinese and foreign travellers at the Conference.

Photo: He Feng, Director of the Visa and Travel Administration of the Foreigners Management Department of the National Immigration Administration, is making an introduction

Xiong Xiaojie, Chairman and Chief Strategic Consultant of Times Cultural Tourism, summed up the “new stage, new concept and new mode of high-quality international development of Tianjin tourism industry”, and put forward two directions for high-quality development of Tianjin cultural tourism: “hustle and bustle”, namely, bringing the happy life to Tianjin people; “internationalization”, namely, creating cultural and artistic life experience and performing arts products, as well as combined Chinese and Western experience. Through top-level design and new planning, Tianjin people’s attitude and ways of enjoying life are presented.

Photo: Xiong Xiaojie, Chairman of Times Cultural Tourism, is delivering a keynote speech

In addition, more than ten industry experts at home and abroad launched a heated discussion on the two topics of “inbound tourism starting again, innovating and opening up the international market” and “promoting international tourism consumption and developing tourism with high quality”. The signing ceremony of Tianjin and its districts and counties with global cultural tourism enterprises was also held at the Conference.

Photo: High-end Dialogues

As an important partner of Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Trip.com Group gives full play to the advantages of global cultural tourism supply chain and industrial ecosystem partner resources, and joins hands with renowned cultural tourism enterprises at home and abroad to sign contracts with Tianjin, invest in Tianjin and develop Tianjin. LOT Polish Airlines, Air Tahiti Nui, Kaytrip, Hiseas International Tourism Travel Group, Intriq Journey and other enterprises have signed strategic cooperation agreements with competent cultural and tourism departments of Tianjin and various districts and counties to promote the implementation of the strategy of “attracting tourists to Tianjin” and bring a steady stream of tourists to Tianjin.

Since this year, under the scientific decision-making of Tianjin Municipal Committee and Tianjin Municipal Government, with the active promotion of Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, and with the joint efforts of cultural and tourism enterprises represented by Trip.com Group, Tianjin cultural and tourism market rebounded significantly. According to the statistics of Trip.com Group, from January to August this year, cultural tourism consumers in Tianjin increased by more than 45% compared with the same period in 2019, and the consumption amount rose by more than 42% compared with the same period in 2019. In addition, cultural tourism consumers and consumption amount in the three categories of hotels, cars and tickets with Tianjin as the destination increased by three digits compared with the same period in 2019.