FUZHOU, China, Nov. 18, 2015 /CNW/ — The first Maritime Silk Road (Fuzhou) International Tourism Festival officially kicked off in Fuzhou on November 15th. Fuzhou is an important gateway to the Maritime Silk Road in the 21st century. The Seas Silk Tourism Festival aimed to enhance the connection between China and ASEAN countries and build a platform for tourism exchange and cooperation. Through integration of tourism resources along the Maritime Silk Road, it plans to create competitive tourist lines for the 21st century Maritime Silk Road, promote traveling in these places and build up the mutual communication and development in Fuzhou, the platform for economic and trade cooperation, as well as the cultural exchange along the Maritime Silk Road.
Nearly 700 people gathered, witnessing the launch ceremony. They were representatives of travel agencies in China and key overseas tour operators from nearly 30 countries and regions along Maritime Silk Road, such as Italy, Russia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Representatives of tourism sectors from places along Domestic Maritime Silk Road and along Hefei-Fuzhou High Speed Railway, covering Guangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo and Hefei, representatives of national top 100 travel agencies, experts in Colleges and universities, tourism enterprises and other distinguished guests also attended.
Representatives from the tourism departments of nine cities along the Maritime Silk Road, including Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Yangzhou, Beihai, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou and Penglai, jointly signed the Fuzhou Declaration, symbolizing the cooperation between the nine cities. It will set up its tourism brand image and jointly develop the Tourism Economic Zone to highlight the role of Maritime Tourism Festival as an international platform for cooperation and development of the countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road.
The arrival of these representatives is of great significance in expanding the overseas tourism market of Fujian and promoting the brand of Fresh Fujian. Travel agencies in Fujian provide exquisite tourism routes for domestic and foreign tour operators through this Maritime Silk Road Tourism Festival. It will further advance exchange and cooperation of the tourism industry, expand the tourism markets at home and abroad, as well as effectively introduce the pattern of Fresh and Blessed Fujian to the whole country and the world.