Forum hears the appeal of 56 ethnic groups on tourism

Along with promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, China should leverage its strengths in the many tourist attractions and in the cultures of its 56 ethnic groups to attract global investors, experts told the eighth Global Tourism Economy Forum.

The regions where China's ethnic minorities live are less developed than other parts of the mainland, but there is tremendous scope there for developing and expanding infrastructure, said Lan Jun, president of the China Council for the Promotion of National Trade. Lan told the first GTEF – World Tourism Investment and Financing Conference – these regions could provide international investors with great opportunities.

China's ethnic minority groups live in areas with unique geographical and environmental advantages. They have special customs, religions, cultures and arts and crafts. Lan believes these can create distinctive "intellectual properties" which will attract both international investors and tourists.

Stressing the potential of these regions, Lan appealed to Chinese entrepreneurs and business leaders to work together disseminating Chinese culture along the BRI.

He said the areas where China's ethnic minorities live need an intelligent approach to tourism. Lan revealed that the China Council for the Promotion of National Trade has cooperated with Tencent to launch "tourism + internet" products. These allow tourists using a smartphone to travel to the 30 autonomous prefectures of China. The information on travel spots and related services is efficiently and conveniently provided through a smartphone.

Wu Qiang, executive director and executive deputy general manager of Hong Kong China Travel International Investment Co Ltd (CTII), also emphasized the importance of producing unique tourism experiences. This is a priority when investing in new tourism projects.

Innovative tourism

Wu noted that CTII has been looking into key tourism projects globally for about 30 years. The company initially focused on traditional tourism projects such as natural scenic spots and cultural sites. However, to appeal to tourists of different age groups, CTII recognizes that it is important for the industry to think outside the box. Wu said that to do this creative minds and unique content were vital.

He added that the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s were the main force affecting tourism today. They had many different demands while traveling compared with the older generation; this means the industry has to be flexible and adaptable.

Zou Feng, managing partner of Tourism Capital said the tourism industry could now be subdivided much more to suit people of different age groups.

In 2018, the number of Chinese tourists who traveled overseas reached almost 150 million, an increase of 14.7 percent year on year, according to China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. As China's tourism market continues to grow, mainland tourists are visiting more and more countries.

Discussing the opportunities emerging along the BRI and overseas markets, Wu said the tourism investment must be directed at people travelling. The company sees Southeast Asia as the main investment region regarding overseas tourism investment such as island resorts. It also cooperates with Chinese enterprises to work on tourism infrastructure, such as ports. CTII also sees considerable potential in the Silk Road connecting Xi'an, Xinjiang and Central Asian cities.