 |
It is predicted that domestic tourism in China would see a full recovery from the impact of COVID-19 by the end of this year.[Photo/Xinhua] |
Domestic tourism in China would most probably see a full recovery from the impact of COVID-19 by the end of this year, with new holiday-making trends accelerating industrial upgrading, the head of a major Chinese online travel agency said on Thursday.
China's domestic tourism market has recovered by 80 percent so far, and positive growth has been witnessed in various localities, Liang Jianzhang, chairman and co-founder of Trip.com Group, said during a speech delivered at an industry summit held in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Self-guided tours and medium- to high-end leisure trips would experience a robust recovery among all types of trips, Liang told Xinhua on the sidelines of the summit.
China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism said earlier this month that a total of 637 million visits were made across the country during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday from Oct 1 to 8, which represented 79 percent of the visits made during the same time last year on a comparable basis.
Tourism revenue reached 466.56 billion yuan (about $68.5 billion), a recovery of 69.9 percent of the revenue gained in the same period in 2019, according to the ministry.
As the virus keeps spreading in many overseas regions, Chinese travelers have mostly opted for domestic trips during this year, especially since trans-provincial travel resumed in July.
Changes have also occurred in domestic travelers' spending habits. For example, more and more people are taking the hotel itself as the destination, and spending their days there while enjoying its various services and participating in events it offers, said Liang.
Meanwhile, he noted, local evening tours with local delicacies and family trips have also become more popular.
"These new trends emerged even before the epidemic hit. They've gained momentum lately as the epidemic forced the transformation and upgrading of the travel industry," said Liang.
Trip.com Group, a NASDAQ-listed company, is also actively engaging in the recovery of global tourism and will gradually extend their experience in China to the Asia-Pacific and other markets, he added.
 |
The 15th Chinese Film Festival in Bangkok and the 2020 China-Thailand Film Exchange Week opens at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok on Oct 25, 2020. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
On Oct 25, the opening ceremony of the 15th Chinese Film Festival in Bangkok and the 2020 China-Thailand Film Exchange Week was held at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok. The event was hosted by the China Cultural Center in Bangkok and received strong support from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and the Thai Ministry of Culture.
The COVID-19 pandemic doesn't impede the enthusiasm for cultural exchange between China and Thailand. This film festival uses live broadcast to present the opening ceremony and host the "China-Thailand Film Exchange and Cooperation Online Seminar". During the film festival, audiences can use the online platform of the China Cultural Center in Bangkok to watch films online, which greatly increases the global reach of the festival.
 |
Gu Hongxing, director of the China Cultural Center in Bangkok and China Tourism Office in Bangkok, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Gu Hongxing, director of Bangkok's China Cultural Center and China Tourism Office, said film can not only introduce one's national culture, but also reflect unique social landscapes. Film has become an important part of cultural exchange between countries and enhance mutual understanding among people around the world.
 |
Yang Xin, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Yang Xin, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand 45 years ago, the mutual trust between the two countries has continued to deepen, economic and trade cooperation has expanded, cultural exchanges have become closer, and all-around cooperation has achieved fruitful results. Both China and Thailand have a vast film market. As a traditional project of cultural exchanges between China and Thailand, the Bangkok Chinese Film Festival has laid a solid foundation for film cooperation between the two countries for 15 years and will add new drive to the promotion of cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Thailand.
 |
Itthiphol Kunplome, Thailand's minister of culture, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Thailand's Minister of Culture Itthiphol Kunplome said in his speech the governments and people of Thailand and China have been in constant exchange. Cooperation in various fields has developed steadily, and the film festival is another important event to further promote cultural exchanges between the two countries. The people of the two countries can promote their understanding of the cultures of both sides through films, and promote friendly relations and cooperation in other perspectives.
Presented by Chinadaily.com.cn Registration Number: 10023870-7 京ICP备13028878号-4
Copyright © Ministry of Culture and Tourism, P.R.China. All rights reserved
京公网安备 11010502035176号