New sister-city cooperation explored at culture, tourism forum

The Culture and Tourism Cooperation Forum was held on Oct 16 in Jinan, capital of East China’s Shandong province, as a major part of the ongoing Shandong International Friendship Cities Conference for Cooperation and Development (SDIFCC). 

The forum is sub-titled “People-to-people connectivity -- convergence of culture and tourism”, and it attracted 330 attendees, including about 180 foreign delegates from 31 international partner cities and foreign institutions in Shandong and about 150 Chinese representatives from cultural tourism enterprises, art troupes, and government departments.

Promotions of Shandong culture and tourism attractions, speeches by representatives from international sister cities, art performances, and negotiations took place during the forum, which was meant to highlight the unique cultural tourism attractions and cultural customs of Shandong and its international sister cities.

Yu Jie, vice governor of Shandong, delivered a speech at the event. He said that this was the 40th year since Shandong first began to form sister-city relations.

Over the past 40 years, Shandong province has established 460 sister city partnerships and cooperative relations with 73 countries. They have conducted in-depth cooperation in cultural tourism, which has proved successful, Yu added. 

Yu said that sister cities played an essential role in further opening up and deepening foreign cooperation in Shandong province.

Christine Haberlander, deputy governor of Upper Austria, enthusiastically introduced her state, saying that “The population of Upper Austria is just over one million, which doesn’t compare with Shandong. However, our cultural tourism attractions and innovative abilities are not to be underestimated, and we stand at the forefront of Europe.”

She said she believes that China is an attractive tourism market for Upper Austria and has great potential for growth.

Representatives from nine of Shandong’s close partners, including Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, Brittany, France, Bavaria, Germany, Bangkok, Thailand, and Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia, also promoted their unique culture and tourism attractions. 

The Culture and Tourism Cooperation Forum is held on Oct 16 in Jinan, capital of East China’s Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A performance is held during the forum to promote Shandong culture and tourism. [Photo/zhonghongwang.com]