Conference advises development of tourism

A market revolving around recreational tourism has now come into being. Gone are the days when tourism was a simple combination of scenic areas, hotels and travel agencies.

The remarks were made by Zhang Hui, deputy director of the World Tourism Cities Federation Expert Committee on the 2018 Innovation and Development Convention on Tourism held in Sanmenxia, Henan province on May 25.

Integration of tourism and culture is the direction the industry is headed. It was in this context that experts and scholars recently gathered to pool opinions on the future of the tourism industry.

"Regions which possess rich historical and cultural resources should convert them into attractive tourist destinations as soon as possible", Zhang noted.

It is not uncommon for tourists to take a quick day trip to a city and then jump on the train to head for another.

We should try to get tourists to stay longer by forging a link between culture and ecology. If they have more to explore, they will stay longer, according to Yi Wei, deputy director of Beijing New Dimension Science and Technology Co.

According to Japanese expert Tokumura Shisei, it's important to lead the charge in leisure tourism rather than constantly playing catch-up.

Ye Jian, an official from a tourism investment company under the New Century Tourism Group, shared her ideas on hotel construction. She said the cost of building hotels is about the same across the country, regardless of the city. What matters is that each hotel has its own unique character.

"The cave dwelling scenic spot in Sanmenxia has huge development potential and deserves a good development plan", Ye mentioned.

Sanmenxia has set a good example by allying with nine provinces and autonomous regions along the Yellow River since 2011 to boost tourism development. The city's efforts have paid off with the record-high and still rising number of tourists and tourism revenue it is experiencing.

The city has recently decided to build a national tourist resort which taps into its advantageous resources. Three additional tourist projects were also penned during this conference, including a new campsite for recreational vehicles.