On November 4, Ambassador Liu Xiaoming attended the opening ceremony of the China Pavillion at World Travel Market (WTM) London at ExCel London and delivered a speech. More than 150 guests were present, including Helen Whately, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Lord Bates, Li Jiangang, Inspector of Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, Jonathan Hull, representative from WTM London, representatives of the exhibitors from 16 Chinese provinces (including regions and cities) and guests from British tourism industry.

In his speech, Ambassador Liu said that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and also the 65th anniversary of China-UK diplomatic relationship at the chargé d’affaires level. The cultural and travel industry in China has achieved much progress, turning the country into a major player in world tourism. China’s tourism industry has entered an era of rapid development and great prosperity. China-UK cooperation on culture and tourism has ushered in a “golden era”, starting from scratch and becoming deeper and more substantial. As a way to experience the charm of different cultures, travelling not only provides an effective driving force for improving people’s life, but also helps build a bridge for exchanges and mutual learning between the Chinese and Western civilizations. Looking into the future, China-UK tourism cooperation possesses great potential and a bright future. He hoped that the event would give all the guests a glimpse of the beauty of China and display the promising future of China-UK cooperation on culture and tourism. “Let’s join hands to build a bridge of friendship and cooperation between our two countries and achieve greater success in our tourism industries,” said the Ambassador in closing.

In her speech, Whately congratulated on the opening of the China Pavilion and spoke highly of the achievements Chinese tourism has accomplished in poverty alleviation. She talked about her tour in Beijing by bike a few years ago and looked forward to travelling by China’s high-speed train. She said that the governments of both China and the UK attach great importance to the role of tourism in economic growth. Tourism has made positive contribution to enhancing the mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples and the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. She wished WTM London a great success. She welcomed more Chinese tourists to Britain and hoped that more British tourists could visit China and experience the oriental charm.

Li Jiangang said that tourism is an important way for different countries and civilizations to exchange ideas and learn from each other. WTM London is such a platform for cooperation, exchanges and mutual learning. Both as the most visited countries in the world, China and the UK are key inbound and outbound travel markets to each other. He believed that, as the two countries continue to increase exchanges with each other, the cooperation of culture and tourism between the two countries will open a new chapter. He said that China is open to more British tourists and hoped that more British travel companies would cooperate with China.

Lord Bates shared his unforgettable experience of hiking in China, saying that the trade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges are deepening between the UK and China in recent years. Culture exchanges enable people to reflect on what they have in common interests. He expressed the hope that more foreign tourists would visit China to enjoy the charm of the Chinese culture.

Hull said that he was delighted to cooperate with China National Tourist Office in London to complete the design and construction of the China Pavilion. WTM London attaches great importance to cooperating with China and looks forward to further such cooperation in the future.

Ambassador Liu gave an interview to CCTV at the China Pavilion.

※ ※ ※

World Travel Market London, with a history of more than 40 years, is the largest and most professional tourism exhibition among the world top 5 tourism trade fairs. According to official estimation, WTM London of 2019 hits a record high in terms of scale. This year, the design of China Pavilion draws inspiration from high-speed train, reflecting the exchange and mutual learning between civilizations and the integration and development of culture and tourism. China Pavilion also set a record, with its 304㎡floor area and 40 exhibition stands. During the exhibition, the China Pavilion launched more than 10 supporting activities to showcase the successful cases of poverty reduction through tourism and promote tourism resources and routes in various regions.