2025.04.18
On April 18, 2025, the International Travel Operators Conference of the 2025 Xi’an Silk Road International Tourism Expo was held at the Xi’an International Conference and Exhibition Center (XIANICEC). The event, hosted by the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and organized by the Xi’an Qujiang New District Management Committee, attracted numerous industry leaders. The opening ceremony featured speeches by Mr. WANG Chun, Deputy Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Mr. XU Peng, Vice Chair of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA), and Irina Tolstousov, Deputy Director of the Invest Moldova Agency.
In his speech, Mr. XU Peng highlighted Shaanxi’s abundant tourism resources, including world-renowned attractions such as the Terracotta Army, Mount Hua, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, and the Ancient City Wall. He emphasized the historical importance of the ancient Silk Road, a path that has witnessed countless merchants and travelers, and its legacy in today’s thriving global tourism industry. He stressed that the prosperity of the global tourism sector today requires an open mindset to embrace transformation, innovative approaches to drive growth, and cooperative efforts to forge a shared future. The WTA, he affirmed, will continue to leverage its role as a platform for international and domestic cooperation, further deepening its exchanges with Shaanxi to explore new pathways for improving and upgrading the tourism industry.
The theme of this year’s expo, "Promoting Tourism Consumption and Stimulating Industrial Vitality", focused on the integration of culture and tourism and industry innovation. Spanning an exhibition area of 36,000 square meters, the event featured three main pavilions: the Exchange and Cooperation Pavilion, the Industry Integration Pavilion, and the Consumer Experience Pavilion. These showcased a broad range of topics, from international tourism cooperation to the integration of the entire tourism industry chain and new consumer experience scenarios. The expo attracted exhibitors and participants from 25 countries and regions. Since its inception in 2014, the Xi’an Silk Road International Tourism Expo has successfully hosted nine editions, gradually becoming a major tourism event in the west China, recognized globally for its scale, market influence, and international reach.
Throughout the expo, a series of side activities took place, including the 2025 Travel Operators Marketing Event, the Belt and Road Tourism Cities Development Exchange, and promotional activities for the 2025 Xi’an Silk Road International Tourism Expo. The event provided a dynamic platform for industry exchange, focusing on transactions, consumption-driven growth, and international collaboration. By deepening international and domestic cooperation in tourism markets, products, information, and service standards, the expo facilitated tourism product transactions and innovation, further expanding the international influence of the Silk Road tourism brand.