China-Arab Tourism Cooperation Forum is held in Yinchuan, the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, on Sept 19. 

The China-Arab Tourism Cooperation Forum was held in Yinchuan, the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, on Sept 19. As an important part of the 2023 China-Arab States Tour Operators Conference, the forum aims to create a platform for exchanges and cooperation between China and Arab countries, explore diversified paths for tourism cooperation, and enhance the China-Arab strategic partnership. 

El Salvador's Ambassador to China, Aldo Alvarez, praised the meeting as a positive demonstration of a shared future mindset. He highlighted the importance of cultural exchange and expressed his confidence in the enduring friendship between the two countries, emphasizing El Salvador's commitment to promoting exchanges and cooperation in various areas such as culture, economy, politics, and academia, to enhance mutual understanding.

Tang Xiaoyun, deputy director of the China Tourism Academy (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism), highlighted the long-standing history of China-Arab tourism cooperation. She said that recent years has witnessed strengthened political trust, economic exchanges, and cultural interactions between the two sides. Tang emphasized the role of tourism in enhancing friendship and facilitating cultural understanding between China and Arab countries in the new era, and proposed the establishment of a China-Arab tourism cooperation alliance, the implementation of more convenient travel policies, the deepening of cultural exchanges, and the promotion of extensive cooperation through innovative marketing strategies.

Zeng Bowen, secretary-general of the Leisure and Vacation Branch of the China Tourism Association, and director of the China Tourism Economy and Policy Research Center at Beijing Union University, delivered a keynote speech on the new development of Sino-Arab tourism under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

He talked about the promotion of the BRI, Sino-Arab tourism cooperation, and offered suggestions for the high-quality development of tourism in Ningxia. These suggestions focused on internationalization, quality, and collaboration. Zeng emphasized the importance of developing inbound and outbound tourism, and suggested the formulation of a plan for international tourist exchanges between China and Arab countries.

Wu Ruoshan, dean of the Academy of New Era Culture Tourism, and deputy director of the Cultural Tourism Policy Research Center of the Chinese University of Labor Relations, highlighted the remarkable achievements in Silk Road cultural and tourism cooperation, achieved through efforts of the construction of cooperation mechanisms and platforms, brand activities, tourism exchanges, and cultural heritage exchanges.

He suggested that future efforts should focus on strengthening the branding of Silk Road tourism, and on carrying out precise marketing promotion and improving the talent team in the tourism industry. He also proposed that China and Arab countries can conduct joint research on international tourism-related topics, in order to guide market behavior based on theoretical achievements.

The forum was hosted by Wang Zhuo, vice-president of the Tourism Marketing Branch of the China Tourism Association. The event itself was organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the People's Government of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, undertaken by the Network of International Culturalink Entities and the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.