Beijing Welcomes Global Tourists with "Great Wall Heroes Global Marketing Campaign"

"Great Wall Heroes 2024—Ensemble of the Great Wall and the Central Axis" Successfully Held at Badaling Great Wall

BEIJING, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- At the foot of the Badaling Great Wall, four travel influencers from the UK, Australia, Canada, and Thailand were honored as "Great Wall Hero: Visit Beijing Tourism Ambassadors" during the global marketing event titled "Great Wall Heroes 2024—Ensemble of the Great Wall and the Central Axis."

Co-hosted by the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau and the Yanqing District People's Government, the event was supported by Mastercard, an official partner. Attendees included representatives from various cultural and tourism bureaus across Beijing, key scenic areas, inbound tourism enterprises, media, and international guests. The event was broadcast globally via the official "Visit Beijing" overseas social media channels, reaching over 100,000 online viewers through images, videos, and live streams.

Ensemble of World Heritage Sites: Celebrating New Splendor

The Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, reflecting Beijing's status as a national cultural center and hub for international exchanges, leveraged the city's global reputation as a world-class cultural and tourism destination to emphasize its rich heritage. In July, the successful inclusion of the "Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital" on the UNESCO World Heritage List brought China's total number of world heritage sites to 59, making Beijing the city with the most such sites globally, with eight in total.

This year's "Great Wall Heroes" event, themed "Ensemble of the Great Wall and the Central Axis," aimed to highlight the vibrancy of Beijing's heritage through the in-depth experiences of travel influencers exploring iconic landmarks like the Great Wall and the Central Axis.

The event featured an exciting video of the four "Great Wall Heroes" exploring Beijing. Guided by bilingual expert Dou Junjie, the influencers journeyed through iconic sites like the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and Summer Palace, gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese civilization. They cycled along the streets of the Central Axis, embraced Beijing's modern lifestyle, climbed the Badaling Great Wall, experienced the unique "night tour", visited the Yanqing Olympic Center to see the reuse of Olympic venues, and savored local delicacies like Beijing Duck and zhajiangmian.

The four "Great Wall Heroes" shared their unique journeys and surprising discoveries with the audience. Sam Tyler from the UK expressed that this experience gave him a new perspective on Beijing. Australian adventurer Siddhartha Hewison (sids.ventures) was thrilled to visit so many world heritage sites in one city, feeling a deep connection with Chinese culture. Canadian Mark Harrison recalled his time living in China, impressed by the active social lives of seniors he encountered while cycling along the Central Axis. Theppitak Sureepong (Pommapartiew) from Thailand, a seasoned traveler, was amazed by the harmonious blend of history and modernity in Beijing's landmarks.

Enhancing International Services: Sharing the City's Warmth

Since last year, China has introduced a series of policies to ease the arrival of foreign visitors, reaffirming its commitment to openness. The "Great Wall Heroes" from Australia, Thailand, the UK, and Canada benefited from visa-free entry or the 144-hour transit visa exemption, allowing them to enjoy a smooth travel experience.

This year, Beijing has focused on tackling the challenges encountered by tourists throughout their journey—arrival, transportation, accommodation, sightseeing, shopping, and payment. The city has made significant efforts to elevate service standards and improve the overall travel experience. Upon arriving, the "Great Wall Heroes" were introduced to seamless payment solutions at the international traveler service centers in both airports. Throughout their visit, they experimented with different payment methods, using foreign cards for subway fares, mobile payments for bike rentals and restaurant orders, and cash for cultural souvenirs, excitedly commenting, "It's incredibly convenient!"

Proactive and Targeted Marketing: Overseas Influencers Share the Story of Beijing

This year, a surge of foreign influencers has shared their experiences in China, amassing over one billion views on foreign-language platforms and igniting a "#Chinatravel" trend. Since 2016, the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau has spearheaded the "Great Wall Heroes" global marketing initiative, inviting overseas travel influencers to engage deeply with Beijing's tourism offerings. In this year's campaign, the four "Great Wall Heroes," each with over a million followers—including one from the UK with more than four million—are sharing their genuine experiences in Beijing with audiences worldwide. Ahead of the event, the official "Visit Beijing" overseas social media account launched a user-generated content (UGC) campaign, encouraging fans to submit their favorite photos from Beijing and the stories behind them.

The "Great Wall Heroes" global marketing campaign aligns with Beijing's strategic vision as a leading global tourism destination. Each year, it selects a core theme and a group of overseas travel influencers to highlight diverse tourism resources. After eight years of dedicated development, the initiative has gained significant brand influence, becoming an essential platform for these influencers to experience and promote the charm of Beijing. This campaign effectively showcases the city's cultural tourism assets, enhances its image, and tells its story, serving as a key driver for expanding the international tourism market and unlocking potential within the cultural tourism sector.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Beijing Welcomes Global Tourists with "Great Wall Heroes Global Marketing Campaign"

Beijing Welcomes Global Tourists with "Great Wall Heroes Global Marketing Campaign"

Beijing Welcomes Global Tourists with "Great Wall Heroes Global Marketing Campaign"

DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As e& UAE prepares to make an impact at GITEX Global, the company's momentum is undeniable. Fresh off the heels of being crowned 'World's Fastest 5G Network' by Ookla, e& UAE is poised to showcase the cutting-edge innovations stemming from its state-of-the-art telco core. 

e& UAE serves 5G to 12 million active users every day bringing to the forefront of global connectivity. "High-speed networks are crucial for connecting the dots between AI components, including transferring data and accessing cloud-based resources," says Masood. "In essence, AI is a product of a sophisticated infrastructure that combines hardware, software, and networking to enable the development and deployment of intelligent systems," Masood says.

For e& UAE, this means continually embracing AI as a key component of its innovation strategy. The company has a successful history of implementing AI solutions to drive productivity and enhance customer experiences, and, as Masood puts it, "AI is where we see the real potential for transformation."

It's with this vision in mind that e& UAE plans to make its mark at GITEX, showcasing its latest AI innovations and demonstrating its leadership in the digital landscape.

More than a telco: e& UAE's digital leap

"AI is embedded across our operations, enabling smarter, faster decision-making and driving new efficiencies in business and customer service," he says. e& UAE was a pioneer in adopting AI internally, but its true impact lies in delivering exceptional digital experiences to customers. A prime example is EASE, the world's first autonomous telecom retail experience, launched at GITEX last year. Since then, e& UAE has rapidly expanded the reach and capabilities of this innovative concept, demonstrating its commitment to leveraging AI for customer-centric solutions.

The company is actively building its reputation as a digital leader, offering cutting-edge connectivity solutions powered by 5G and AI and IoT integrations. This strategic shift is at the heart of e& UAE's participation at GITEX, where the company will showcase its innovative digital offerings and vision for the future.

GITEX spotlight

"We're thrilled to be part of GITEX, an exciting showcase of the future where the world's greatest minds come together to envision and shape the technology of a better tomorrow," Masood says.

In addition to the latest smart home solutions and drone technology, its showcase will include advanced applications in AI, augmented reality, and 5G technology, reflecting its commitment to digital transformation. One of the standout features will be the Hologram Customer Service Avatar, which aims to provide an interactive customer experience. This avatar will utilise ultra-HD, intelligent capabilities to facilitate real-time interactions, allowing users to engage with services in a more immersive manner. The integration of 5G New Calling technology will further enhance user experience by offering visualised voice calling, real-time translation, and multimedia content during calls.

Continuing the tradition of announcing 5G milestones at previous GITEX events, e& UAE announced network speed upgrades including the fastest aggregated 5G-Advanced speed of 62Gbps. Demonstrating its commitment to 5G leadership, e& UAE will also highlight its achievement as the largest 5G-Advanced commercial network in the MENA region, with over 1,000 operational sites. This milestone marks the dawn of the 10G era, delivering unparalleled speeds and ultra-low latency that will redefine digital experiences. At GITEX, it will not only showcase its impressive technological advancements but also unveil strategic partnerships that align with its vision for a digital future. Building upon the success of its 5G private network deployment in the oil and gas sector with ADNOC, the company is now expanding its reach in more industries.

"The success of AI, IoT, and 5G depends on building an ecosystem of innovation. That means working closely with tech giants, startups, and government entities to ensure we're building the right solutions for the future," says Masood.

Making networks AI-ready

At the heart of e& UAE's mission to pioneer the digital frontier in the UAE lies a firm commitment to high-speed connectivity. For example, 50G-PON, the next generation of high-speed connectivity, promises to revolutionise internet connectivity, delivering unprecedented capacity and considerably speeding things up for consumers and businesses.

"Our strategy is rooted in a profound belief that we can achieve more for the people and communities we serve—drive more growth, create more opportunities, and have a greater impact—infused with a passion for excellence. As we evolve beyond traditional telecom, we are enhancing our services and tailoring our offerings to meet the diverse needs of our customers.

The UAE's global leadership in broadband and mobile speeds, as recognised by Ookla, is significantly attributed to the contributions of e& UAE. "We are part of the UAE fabric, and we stand with the country, helping to build a stronger, more connected society," Masood concludes.

Contact details: Nancy Sudheer, Senior Manager at e&, nsudheer@eand.com 

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Glancing into Tomorrow at GITEX: e& UAE'S Vision for a Smarter, AI-powered Future

Glancing into Tomorrow at GITEX: e& UAE'S Vision for a Smarter, AI-powered Future