Through an online exhibition held in London, China has been showing to the world how its intangible culture heritage played a crucial role in helping a lot of local people out of poverty by developing tourism.
On display in the three-day World Travel Market (WTM) Virtual 2020, which kicked off here Monday and runs through Wednesday, were Chinese intangible cultural heritage tourism routes and case studies in poverty alleviation through tourism.
According to the China National Tourist Office in London, China's exhibition focused on introducing 12 of its most cutting-edge intangible-cultural-tourism inspired tourism products that combine classic tourism features with extensive cultural experiences.
These 12 routes, covering the country's popular travel destinations including Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Zhejiang, Anhui, Shandong, Hubei, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Gansu and Xinjiang, are specifically tailored to modern demands of travellers, who want to dig beneath the surface for a better understanding of the people and practices they encounter.
"By both highlighting China's national and regional intangible cultural heritage across the route, and giving visitors opportunities to get hands-on and try new things for themselves, these culture-forward experiential travel products represent a step forward for global tourism in China," the introduction on the "Wider China" said.
China will also share at the WTM platform case studies of poverty alleviation through tourism, which looks at examples of using tourism to tap the potential of regions and communities, in order to provide a sustainable local economy.
Simon Press, senior exhibition director at WTM London, said WTM Virtual 2020 is bringing the global travel industry together to help recover, rebuild and innovate.
"China's strong presence on the platform is eagerly awaited by the travel industry, especially as it ensures that the development of tourism in China is unlocking the potential of regions and communities that the consumer and the trade may not be so familiar with," he said. "The fact that China is ensuring that this is being developed with a responsible and sustainable direction is extremely comforting."
Launched in 1980, WTM London introduces global travel buyers to the biggest destinations and brands in the world every year. Being moved online this year, it intends to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism industry and to discuss a road map to recovery.
