22nd General Assembly of UNWTO to be Held in Chengdu

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CHENGDU, China, Sept. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Between September 11 and 16, the 22nd General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization is slated to take place in the city of Chengdu, China. As a conference of the highest caliber in the global tourism industry, the UNWTO General Assembly is held once every two years.

This year marks the first time the General Assembly sets foot in western China. The world is waiting to see how the city will attract tourists from across the globe.

As an emblem of Chinese tourism, the city of Chengdu has been jointly named the Best Tourism City in China by the UNWTO and China National Tourism Administration, and was also proclaimed as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. In January this year, Chengdu was listed as one of the world's 21 must-see travel destinations of 2017 by National Geographic Traveler, being the only Chinese city on the honor roll.

Since antiquity Chengdu has been referred to as the "Land of Abundance," it has always been the heart of southwestern China, 22 national-level intangible cultural heritages are priceless cultural treasures that have been inherited and passed on to this very day.

Here, historical accumulation and modern civilization illuminate each other. According to big data on fashion in Chengdu published by online news media Toutiao, as of the end of 2016 Chengdu is listed as the third trendiest city in China. Currently, Chengdu has 68 international hotel brands, as well as numerous world-class urban complexes like IFS and Tai Koo Li. At present, Chengdu is focusing on accelerating the establishment of western China's cultural creativity center and a famous world cultural city .

Chengdu is home to the world's oldest hydrological engineering feat in Dujiangyan and the birthplace of Taoism in Mount Qingcheng, together a World Heritage site, while the Jinsha Archaeological Site reflects the  ancient Shu culture that already existed more than 3,000 years ago. Chengdu have attracted more than 200 million visitor/time from throughout the country and around the world every year.

The World Natural Heritage of Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries is located at the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in eastern Chengdu. This 30 years old-conservatory is the habitat for 176 pandas, which is the largest captive bred panda population in the world.

Chengdu is the origin and growth pole of Sichuan cuisine, and Chengdu cuisine, renowned for its spicy and numbing characteristics, offers some 6,000 dishes and a tremendously diverse range of style. For many people, Chengdu is not only a city to be seen, but also one to be tasted and savored.

As the most vital tourist distribution center in western China, 102 international (regional) flight routes operate from Chengdu, and after the completion of Tianfu International Airport, Chengdu will become mainland China's third city to be served by two of its own international airports. At present, the 72 hours visa-free policy has been enacted and is applicable to foreign citizens of 51 countries including Germany, Denmark and the United States in possession of flight ticket and entry document for a third nation.

The Chengdu of today has 16 foreign consulates, 33 international twin cities, economic and trade relations with 228 nations and regions across the planet, and offices of 278 of the Fortune Global 500 corporations. Staying abreast of the progress of economic globalization, Chengdu looks forward to sharing its tourism resources with worldwide tourists.

This conference will serve to extend China's leaps and bounds in assimilating with the world in terms of trade, commerce and tourism. When Chairman of China National Tourism Administration Li Jinzao invited nations across the globe to come to Chengdu to participate in the General Assembly, he remarked, "The Chinese delegate sincerely hopes to trade opinions with associates around the world regarding global tourism growth. Under the prolific support of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, we shall jointly promote the integrated development of the global tourism industry and generate more benefits for the citizens of the world".

Earlier this year a folk song titled Chengdu swept the country by storm, and one of the most memorable lyrics was "accompany me on a stroll on the streets of Chengdu, and we won't stop even when all the lights dim out".

Looking forward to meeting you in the home of the giant pandas - Chengdu.

SOURCE China National Tourism Administration