On March 26, the 2023 Shandong Tourism Development Conference opened at Qingdao International Convention Center. Lin Wu, Secretary of the Provincial Committee of CPC, announced the opening of the conference. The attendees included Zhou Naixiang, Deputy Party Secretary and Governor of Shandong; Du Jiang, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism; Zhang Xu, WTA Chairman; Chen Yin, Chairman of China Tourism Group; Liu Shijun, WTA Vice Chairman and Secretary-General; and Oh Young-hun, Governor of Jeju Self-Governing Province, Republic of Korea. The opening ceremony was chaired by Lu Zhiyuan, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Committee of the CPC and Secretary of Qingdao Municipal Committee of the CPC.

Organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, the “2023 Discover China Cultural Tour” kicked off in Beijing on March the 21st. Hu Heping, Minister of Culture and Tourism of China, attend the launching ceremony together with 73 diplomats and envoys from 49 countries. Pansy Ho, Vice Chair of WTA, and Liu Shijun, WTA Vice Chair and Secretary-General were invited to join the participating ambassadors, heads of cultural and tourism organizations and enterprises in launching the program for the whole year by operating the activation device on the stage.

On March 20th, Mr. Liu Shijun, the Vice Chair and Secretary-General of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA) attended a meeting with Mr. Fahd M. Hamidaddin, the Deputy Minister of Tourism and CEO of the Tourism Authority of Saudi Arabia in Beijing at the latter’s invitation. The two exchanged views on future plans of cooperation through the platforms and initiatives of WTA.

Insight & Inspirations | China Re-Opens: Investing in Tourism for Jobs, Growth and Rural Development