Exchange week strengthens interregion cooperation

ASEAN's 2018 "the Belt and Road" Tourism Culture Exchange Week has provided opportunities for Guiyang to deepen cooperation with Southeast Asian states, said Chen Yan, mayor of Guiyang.

"The exchange week has offered a chance to give full play to Guiyang's advantages in location, ecology, resources and policies," Chen said.

It will promote the city in Southeast Asia, furthering in-depth cooperation with countries in the ASEAN and the Belt and Road Initiative, especially in the field of cultural tourism, Chen added.

In recent years, Guiyang has continued to improve its construction of transportation infrastructure, establishing a modern, comprehensive transportation system.

The Longdongbao International Airport has opened 21 international and regional routes, four intercontinental routes and also has routes to cities of ASEAN members including Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi in Thailand, as well as Kuala Lumpur and Langkawi in Malaysia.

Guiyang has also established high-speed railways domestically, extending to Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Kunming in Yunnan.

The restrictions on tourism imposed by time and space can be overcome with a developed modern transportation system, Chen said, adding that, "the key (to maintaining a city's competitiveness) is to focus on its best and distinctive tourism culture experience."

During the exchange week, Guiyang cooperated with the ASEAN-China Center to set up the ASEAN-Guizhou (Guiyang) Tourism Culture Promotion Center. The center will organize various activities to build Guiyang's tourism brand in Southeast Asia through tourism marketing based on the seasons observed in different parts of the region, Chen said.

Countries in ASEAN including Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia joined hands to establish the overseas marketing and promotion center for Guizhou's tourism culture.

"ASEAN members are crucial overseas travel destinations and points of origin for Guiyang," Chen said.

Official data showed that about 84,200 tourists from Guiyang visit ASEAN members annually. And each year, about 52,000 individuals come to Guiyang from ASEAN members, accounting for 15 percent of inbound visitors to the city.