China Culture and Travel Road-Show, organized by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), kicked off at Freedom Plaza, Pennsylvania Avenue, in downtown Washington Friday afternoon.
Under the theme of "Discovering China in the New Century," the road-show is aimed at enabling the US travel trade and the public to better understand China and its tourism development.
The delegation, the largest and most comprehensive one ever in China's tourist industry, is comprised of representatives from the CNTA, 14 provincial tourism offices, big tour operators, airlines and hotels. They will provide the latest travel information of China to the American travel trade.
The events will take place in eight cities in America's East Coast as a four-bus caravan, decorated with famous Chinese landscapes and historical sites.
Some well-known artists in the delegation will present various aspects of Chinese culture to the American public in Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Richmond, Raleigh, Orlando, Miami and Chicago. At each stop, cultural performances of Chinese dances and operas will be presented to the public at city squares and large shopping centers.
Speaking at the Friday's opening ceremony, He Guangwei, chairman of the CNTA, said the road-show will "help us build up friendship while developing business.” "It is hoped that the cooperation and exchanges with our counterparts in the US travel trade will be further strengthened, the mutual understanding and friendship between our two governments and our two peoples in many other fields further enhanced," he said.
Beverly Rivers, secretary of Washington, read the congratulatory letter from Mayor Anthony Williams. In his letter, Williams said "this road-show is the first of its kind ever organized in the United States, and will give Americans a glimpse of the world's most wonderful tourist destinations in China, and will also significantly promote understanding between the two countries."
The two peoples of China and the United States have enjoyed traditions of friendly exchange throughout history.
In recent years, with the increasing growth of relations between the two countries in the field of economy and trade, the United States has already become one of the most important inbound tourist markets for China. In the year 2000, almost 900,000 US travelers visited China, an increase of 17.6 percent over the previous year.
(Xinhua 06/16/2001)
