Conference held to strengthen domestic tourism resources

The 6th annual Taihu World Cultural Forum was held from Monday through Wednesday in the city of Bengbu in Anhui Province. Conference attendees shared insight into topics including cultural diversity, the Belt and Road Initiative, pandemic prevention and control, ecologically friendly construction, culture and tourism integration, poverty alleviation and technological development.

The conference was themed "Mutual Learning Among Civilizations: Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind." Nearly 500 Chinese and foreign politicians, notable scholars, representatives from international organizations and enterprise leaders congregated to brainstorm perspectives on these topics both online and offline.

The conference is designed to promote dialogue and exchange among populations, present a true multidimensional and panoramic view of China, and advance the progress of human civilization.

It included a general meeting, themed forums, dialogues and side events.

"Innovation of cultural legacies will empower social development," said Liu Yuzhu, board chairman of the China Foundation For Cultural Heritage Conservation and former head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration in one of the forums "Belt and Road: History and Future of the Pathway of Civilization."

The protection and inheritance of cultural heritage resources enrich people's culture and tourism experiences, said Liu.

Bengbu has unique cultural traditions, such as flower drum lanterns and Sizhou opera, and efforts will be ramped up in international exchange and cooperation to promote the cultural value and essence of these legacies, said Liu.

There are more than 70 million people working in China's tourism industry, while professionals who can meet the demand for high-quality development of the nation's tourism industry are in urgent need. Also, the education and training of tourism staff needs to be significantly improved, said Wang Zhifa, former deputy director of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, in a dialogue.

The cultural significance of tourist packages, such as rural tourism and "red" tourism itineraries, is enriched continuously, satisfying people's increased demand for culture and tourism, becoming an important platform displaying the beauty of China, said Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of Shanghai Spring Tour.

"Culture is the core of tourism, and architecture and areas ideal for walking are important tourist resources in Shanghai which reflect the city's culture," said Zhou.

Shanghai's first shuttle bus taking people to experience the glamor of the city's classic architecture began service in September. The route, popular among residents and tourists, carried over 11,000 passengers during the last Shanghai Tourism Festival.