Shaanxi sets its sights on putting the Silk Road on the tourist map

Part of the Silk Road, a 2,000-year old route for trade and cultural exchanges, was included on the UNESCO World Heritage list at the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Doha, Qatar, from June 15 to 25, 2014.

The application, which was jointly submitted by China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, marks the first time that China has cooperated with foreign countries for a World Heritage nomination, according to Xinhuanet.

The Silk Road section listed as part of the world's heritage is the Chang'an-Tianshan corridor, which starts from the city of Xi'an in Shaanxi province.

The Silk Road has become a popular attraction for both national and international tourists now, said Yang Zhongwu, head of the Shaanxi Tourism Bureau.

"The global influence of Shaanxi, as the starting point of the Silk Road, has been boosted through the inclusion of the ancient trading route as part of the world's heritage," Yang said, adding that the Shaanxi government will take this as an opportunity to develop the local tourism industry.

The government has been focusing on developing Silk Road tourism since last year, when Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his speech at the Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, proposed that China and Central Asian countries build a Silk Road economic belt together.

The proposed economic belt is home to almost three billion people and "represents the biggest market in the world with unparalleled potential," Xi said.

At the beginning of this year, Shaanxi tourism bureau officials said that developing Silk Road tourism is now one of their key strategies for the future.

In May, the local tourism bureau invited renowned scholars to Shaanxi to hold a dialogue on the Silk Road culture.

With the support of government policies, the Shaanxi tourism bureau is expected to plan and implement a series of tourism programs, routes and products according to the Silk Road theme in the upcoming future, Yang said.

Tourism expo

The China Xi'an Silk Road International Tourism Expo 2014, the first one of the theme around the nation, will be held in the Xi'an Qujiang International Conference and Exhibition Center from Sept 19 to 21.

The expo, which is organized by the Shaanxi tourism bureau, aims to provide a one-stop networking platform for domestic and international tourism industry players, an organizing official said.

About 500 exhibitors from 30 countries as well as 25 provinces and regions in China are expected to attend the expo, which will occupy a total floor space of 20,000 square meters, he added.

The exhibitors and visitors come from various industries, but most of them are tourism-related, such as airlines, hotels, art and heritage centers, car services, restaurants, travel agencies, credit card providers, as well as travel and tourism media outlets.

The expo will not only provide people with an opportunity to meet quality buyers and partners, it will also be a great occasion for visitors to "explore the opportunities in northwest China's tourism market," the official added.

This year's expo is expected to connect tourism markets between China and other regions in Asia and Europe, and bring the tourism industry along the ancient trade route to a new level, he said.

The highlights of the event include meetings among buyers and sellers, industry forums, and on-site performances.

The buyer recruitment team of the expo's organizing committee has established a database to conduct research on the potential buyers and help them pair with the exhibitors.

In addition, the organizer has also invited officials from the National Tourism Administration, experts and industry insiders from home and abroad to hold a presentation on the Silk Road's future development.

Exhibitors are expected to showcase their travel packages, products and local culture through performances and theme activities during the event.

According to local experts, building the Silk Road tourism belt faces a lot of challenges, such as transportation, local infrastructure and visa issues. To address these issues, countries along the Silk Road are expected to strengthen their cooperation.

Experts said different provinces and regions in northwest China are also expected to cooperate with each other in areas such as designing tourism routes and products, and tourism promotion.

Great potential

Silk Road tourism has great potential, cities along the route should work together to develop ideas, products and activities to make it into a world-class tourism destination, said Zhu Yuhuai, professor at the Northwest University in Xi'an.

Only by doing so will tourists from all over the world will be interested in the Silk Road culture, he added.

The tourism market of Shaanxi province has maintained a high-speed growth in the recent years.

According to the local government, the province's total tourism revenue for the first two quarters of this year was 126.37 billion yuan ($21.1 billion), with an increase of 21.3 percent compared with the same period in 2013.

In addition, the number of tourists in the first two quarters was 170 million.

Xi'an, as the capital of the province, is a globally renowned tourism destination due to its glorious history and numerous ancient sites.

Known as Chang'an in ancient times, Xi'an was the capital of 13 dynasties in the Chinese history.

The city possesses attractions such as the Terracotta Warriors, the Ancient City Wall, and the Bell Tower and Drum Tower.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/24/2014 page6)