World Travel News

Apart from the soaring growth of economic and trade communication, China and ASEAN are extending their cooperation in the field of culture, and the ongoing second China-ASEAN expo discloses that tourism is the key to opening this gate.

“To ordinary tourists who come to visit the expo, they may not remember the specific trade turnover between China and ASEAN countries,” said Wen Zhongliang, deputy secretary general of the expo, “but they can have deep impressions on the activities of ‘City of Charm’, for this really brings them the mood of festival.”

In front of the display area of Chiang Mai, the wooden houses with Thai flavors become the camera focus of hundreds of travelers, while in the area of Beijing, many tourists from ASEAN nations were deeply allured by the traditional “flour figure art” of the traditional folk artists.

One of the most shining features of this expo, “City of Charm” showcases the most typical tourism cities of China and ASEAN.

The staff of the exhibition hall said thousands of visitors, both from home and overseas, come to enjoy the hallmarks of the 11 cities. City of Charm deserves its fame.

A tourist from Beijing said he has great affectations for the southeast Asian nations. He had, during the past few years, visited Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, and he is thinking of traveling to Indonesia and the Philippines at the end of this year.

Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Somkid Jatusripitak said here Thursday that Thailand and China have broad prospects for tourism cooperation.

“Thailand and China have great potential in cooperation in tourism and trade and economic exchange with the establishment of China-ASEAN free trade area,” said Somkid, arrived at southern scenic city of Guilin early Thursday after attending the second China-ASEAN Expo.

With the tourism industry playing a leading role, cooperation in other industries between Thailand and China will grow rapidly, he said.

The tourism industry in Britain contributed 81.5 billion pounds (some 143.4 billion US dollars) to the country’s economy in 2004, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported on Sunday.

The British Hospitality Association, the trade association for restaurants, hotels and caterers, was quoted as saying that eating and drinking away from the home formed the majority of the leisure earnings, which was worth 20.1 billion pounds (some 35.4 billion dollars).

Business-related spending was valued at 10.2 billion pounds (some 18 billion dollars) and overnight accommodation at 9.9 billion pounds (some 17.4 billions dollars).

The London Eye was the top charging attraction, with 3.7 million visitors last year.

Tens of thousands of tourists flocked to the small city of Zhangjiajie during the National Day holiday as the “golden week” gave people an opportunity to get out and enjoy the area’s picturesque countryside.

Hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and souvenir stalls bustled with activity. Cars, buses, tractors and motorcycles were nose-to-tail on virtually every street of the city in Central China’s Hunan Province.

What tourists did not see was any real evidence of the culture of the Tujia minority, whose people make up 77 per cent of Zhangjiajie’s population.

Li Junsheng, a local painter, believes tourism is tarnishing the city’s unique culture.

The modern buildings going up in the city, says local government spokesman Guo Tiejun, are there to meet the needs of the growing number of tourists.

“They cannot accept shabby houses, the city was built to cater to the demands of tourism.”

The question is, is tourism revitalizing the city or destroying its intrinsic cultural fabric?

Culture all but lost

Nestling under blue skies dotted with cotton wool clouds, Zhangjiajie’s unique mountainous countryside is covered by forests. Fresh air breezes around the crags as birds call out from the green trees. Waterfalls tumble from the dells and trickle down the cliffs.

Unsurprisingly, the area is a huge draw for tourists wanting to get back to nature. Ancient Tujia towns nearby Zhangjiajie are another popular attraction.

It is this combination of magnificent scenery and fascinating culture that painter Li, 42, loves so much.

Zhangjiajie was quiet and beautiful when he was young, he remembers. Diaojiaolou, Tujia folk houses, built of wood and stones, were just like those described in Shen Congwen’s classic novel “Biancheng (Remote Town).”

“Now they have disappeared without trace,” Li says regretfully. “In the view of an artist, I think the new city has done great damage to the area’s natural beauty and to Tujia folk culture.”

Government and enterprise representatives from 16 cities around north China’s Bohai Sea gathered in Tianjin Friday, founding a regional tourism cooperation organization.

The round-Bohai port city tourism cooperative agreement was signed by delegates from the 16 cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao and Qinhuangdao. They believed that an incorporateregional tourism concept should be widely promoted in this region.