Attendees of the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition about wildlife in China at the headquarters of UN Tourism in Madrid, Spain, Oct. 10, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

A photo exhibition showcasing China's diverse wildlife was held at the headquarters of UN Tourism in Madrid on Oct. 10 aiming to promote the growing trend of natural tourism.

"There are many natural parks and beautiful places that remain undiscovered and I think this is one of the first steps to promote Chinese eco-tourism, which is becoming very trendy and important," Secretary-General of UN Tourism Zurab Pololikashvili says.

The exhibition features 20 wildlife photographs, some of which have earned accolades in international competitions. These images were taken by professional and amateur Chinese photographers ranging from 12 to over 70 years old.

Pololikashvili says that tourists want to travel to China "to see not only buildings and architecture or its modernity but also the rural development", which is "one of our priorities".

This exhibition is one of the first steps to promote eco-tourism and in China, there are many things to see "outside of the big cosmopolitan cities", he notes.

Chinese tourism, both inbound and outbound, has been recovering since the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the first half of this year, China received 14.64 million international visitors, a 153 percent surge from the previous year. A significant portion — 8.54 million — entered through visa-free policies, reflecting a 190 percent rise, according to data from the China National Immigration Administration.

"The numbers are there and people are coming back to China. The interest to travel in China is huge", and this kind of activity will be "a good support".

In terms of China's outbound tourism, "in the second half of 2023 and 2024, we're seeing the numbers of Chinese tourists increasing and we're coming back to the 2019 level", he says, adding that "next year, it will be much better".

He also notes that tourism is becoming more sustainable and people are looking for new destinations and experiences.

At the opening ceremony, Harry Hwang, regional director for Asia and the Pacific at UN Tourism, highlights that Chinese tourists are making a big impact in Asian destinations and the whole world.

Although it takes Asia time to recover from the pandemic, when it fully recovers, "I think it will lead the growth and development of tourism and in that interjunction, Chinese tourism will be absolutely important", the regional director adds.