On 25 September 2020, the opening ceremony of the 6th China (Sichuan) International Tourism Investment Conference (SCITIC) and the 7th Sichuan International Travel Expo (SCITE) was held at the International Tourism Trade Expo Centre in Leshan, Sichuan Province, combining offline and online platforms. Mr. Peng Qinghua, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Sichuan Province, Mr. Yin Li, Governor of Sichuan Province, Mr. Zhang Xu, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of China, Dr. Thong Khon, Tourism Minister of Cambodia which is the Guest Country of Honor of the 7th SCITE, Dr. Mario Hardy, Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Asia Travel Association, and representatives from diplomatic missions of the ASEAN Member States in China, enterprises, think tanks and media joined the event. Mr. Chen Dehai, Secretary-General of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), attended the opening ceremony and relevant activities.

Party Secretary Peng Qinghua declared the opening of the 6th SCITIC and the 7th SCITE.

 

On behalf of the Sichuan Government, Governor Yin Li expressed his warm welcome to all the delegates from home and abroad. He stated that Sichuan boasts rich cultural and tourism resources and enormous potentials for future development. While maintaining the ongoing COVID-19 prevention and control, Sichuan Province pursues quality development approach for its tourism industry with aims of building Sichuan into a leading province for culture and tourism industry as well as important world-class travel destination. Responding to the new trend of evolving and upgrading tourism consumption, the province is trying to cultivate new tourism products featuring new formats, new modes and new systems. Yin said all the enterprises and investors are sincerely welcome to be part of its culture and tourism industry development and share a new future of common prosperity. 

 

In his video message, Dr. Thong Khon extended congratulations on the opening of the events and said Chinese investors and tourists are welcome to visit Cambodia.

 

Dr. Mario Hardy noted in his video message that the COVID-19 has deeply changed the landscape of the tourism sector, but it also comes with opportunities of recovery and future development. He said, as the engine of the global tourism development, China is helping this sector recover and readjust.

During the opening ceremony, Secretary-General Chen Dehai met with officials of Sichuan Province and Leshan City as well as diplomats of ASEAN countries, and exchanged views with them on deepening exchanges and cooperation between ASEAN and China in various fields. He expressed his profound thanks to the governments of Sichuan Province, Leshan City and all the relevant partners for their long-time support to ACC. He said ACC would make strenuous efforts to improve people-to-people exchanges and practical cooperation between ASEAN and Sichuan Province.

 

In the interview with local media, Secretary-General Chen Dehai shared his observation on the global tourism recovery alongside regular pandemic prevention and control. On the same day, the ACC delegation also attended Emei Tourism Forum and Leshan tourism promotion activity named “Emei Night”.   

 

The 7th SCITE, with the theme of “new culture and tourism, new scenes and new technology”, lasted 4 days from 25 to 28 September. It included exhibition, forum, competition, events and various online and offline activities.