The 14th China-U.S. Tourism Leadership Summit opened in the northwestern Chinese city of Xi'an on Wednesday, aiming to enhance dialogue and deepen cooperation between the two countries through cultural exchanges.
This event, hosting nearly 400 representatives from government agencies, local authorities, and enterprises of the two countries, marked a step toward strengthening bilateral relations and understanding.
At the opening ceremony, Chinese and U.S. students performed "Jasmine Flower" and "Moon River", setting a collaborative tone for the summit.
Speaking at the event, Chinese officials celebrated 45 years of diplomatic ties, noting significant growth in tourism that has facilitated people-to-people exchanges.
They encouraged American businesses to expand their investments in China's hospitality and entertainment sectors and urged the United States to create a more equitable policy environment for Chinese tourism companies.
Grant Harris, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce, emphasized the strategic importance of Chinese tourists in achieving the U.S. goal of hosting 91 million international visitors by 2026.
He highlighted that restoring the number of Chinese tourists to the pre-pandemic level in 2019 could support over 50,000 American jobs, underscoring the summit as a pivotal moment for expanding tourism cooperation.
"More travel and tourism between the United States and China will create jobs and grow the economies of both our countries, and foster mutual understanding of our people. In fact, I'm proud to say that this is the most high level and encompassing U.S. delegation to ever attend the summit. This underscores the significance of this occasion," Harris stated.
Participants from both nations expressed a desire to further cultural exchanges and make travel between the two countries easier and more accessible.
"We look forward to strengthening our connections and cooperation with U.S. airlines and other industry colleagues. We also welcome more brand partners to join us in sharing China's huge tourism market. We aim to promote broader and deeper cultural exchanges between China and the United States, building more bridges of mutual understanding and friendship between the people of both nations," said Wang Haimin, general manager of China Tourism Group.
The event also included a signing ceremony that established Xi'an and Los Angeles, Shanghai and New York, Shenzhen and San Francisco as partner cities, enhancing their tourism connections.
Lisa Simon, President and CEO of the International Inbound Travel Association, shared her enthusiasm for the summit's potential to transcend cultural barriers.
"We are so excited about this summit because, of course, we haven't had this summit since the pandemic. Pre-pandemic, I think 2019 was the last one hosted in the United States. I think travel and tourism have become critically important to both governments, and I think that's a sign and signal that it is incredibly important to the improvement of the relations in the country. Once you meet people and experience some of their lifestyles, culinary delights, and activities, then you realize that there are more commonalities than there are differences," Simon remarked.
The summit is a fresh effort in implementing the agreements made during the meeting between the presidents of China and the United States in San Francisco last November. Both leaders sent letters to the opening ceremony, highlighting the importance of tourism and cultural exchanges.
The summit highlighted tourism's role in eliminating prejudices, enhancing mutual understanding, and building trust -- key elements needed in today's China-U.S. relations.
14th China-US Tourism Leadership Summit held in Xi'an to bolster cooperation
