China pavilion launched at World Travel Market in London

China launched its pavilion themed "Hello China" at the 2023 World Travel Market, or WTM, which kicked off in London on Monday and runs until Wednesday.

The 2023 WTM London event represents China's first major exhibition participation since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The WTM is the world's most influential travel and tourism event. It launched in 1980 and is expected to welcome around 4,000 exhibitors from over 180 countries and regions this year.

Delegations from Beijing and Shanghai, as well as Northwest China's Shaanxi province, Central China's Hubei province and East China's Jiangxi province introduced famous tourist destinations, cultural heritage highlights and travel-related information, such as tax refund policies.

A total 13 Chinese tourism companies and seven Chinese airlines also presented a rich variety of tourism offerings, including travel packages, agency services, regular flight routes connecting China and Europe, and more.

Li Liyan, minister counselor for cultural affairs at China's Embassy in the United Kingdom pointed out that China has released a series of policies to speed up tourism market recovery at the opening ceremony of the China exhibition area.

"In August of this year, China resumed group outbound tourism to multiple countries, such as the UK. Starting from Oct 23, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the UK have canceled online visa appointments, so that applicants can walk into the visa service centers to submit their applications. And from Nov 1, travelers will no longer be required to fill out the 'Health Declaration Form' for entry and exit," Li said.

"The global tourism market has rapidly regained its vitality as the pandemic has disappeared, China is also warmly welcoming the return of world tourists with open arms."

Gao Yang, director-general of the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said Shaanxi is at the forefront of opening up, and the 2023 WTM London serves as an opportunity to promote development with domestic brother provinces and exchange experiences with foreign counterparts.

Shaanxi is a notable birthplace of the Chinese nation and Chinese civilization, with a long history that has etched a profound cultural legacy, such as the legendary Terracotta Army, which draws a large number of international tourists.

According to Gao, Shaanxi received 190,000 British tourists in 2019, ranking among the top in the country, and in the first half of this year, the number of domestic tourists received by the province has rebounded to pre-pandemic level.

"We look forward to the continuous strengthening of people-to-people exchanges," said Gao.

Alastair Blackburn, executive chairman of the Silk Road Foundation, a community interest company that promotes Macclesfield, a town in the northwest of England, which is considered by many to be the Western end of the ancient Silk Road in Europe, said travel can create the road to peace.

"I always believe that travel is the best education you can find, educational exchanges can lead to understanding, then it is a simple path from understanding to trust, to cooperation, to peace, and so on. If we do not travel, our world, which is already unstable, will become more unstable because it is based mostly on ignorance," he said.

The executive chairman who has been committed to deepening understanding between the East and the West, and China and the UK, also said he encourages people to visit China.

"I am lucky enough. I have traveled there, maybe, 40 times. There is still much to see. I encourage everybody to go there as often as possible. Because it is a beautiful country with lovely, warm, hospitable people and fabulous landscape."