2016 Sichuan Int’l Cultural Tourism Festival to open in July
The 2016 Sichuan Int'l Cultural Tourism Festival will be held in Liangshan, southwest China's Sichuan Province, from July 23 to 28, it was announced at a press conference on Wednesday. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]
The 2016 Sichuan Int'l Cultural Tourism Festival will be held in Liangshan, Sichuan Province, from July 23 to 28, it was announced at a press conference on Wednesday.
The festival aims to integrate tourism with culture, enhance the image of Sichuan, build "Liangshan" brand, help Sichuan take part in the Belt and Road initiative and build the province as an economic powerhouse and global tourism destination.
Eight themed events will be held during the six-day festival, including an opening ceremony, the expo of Sichuan tourism commodities, featured performances, field trips on tourism routes throughout Liangshan for festival guests and a Liangshan Yi ethnic group torch cultural carnival, which will display the Yi's unique culture and traditions.
The festival will also highlight cooperation with overseas travel agents. Big companies are supposed to be introduced in Sichuan to help develop the domestic and overseas tourism market.
The Sichuan Int'l Cultural Tourism Festival was first held in 2003 and has become one of the most important festivals in Sichuan.
Liangshan, located at the core area of the grand Shangri-la region, has great potential for Sichuan's tourism industry. From 2011 to 2015, tourism revenue in Liangshan was 75.36 billion yuan. In 2015, the revenue reached 25.17 billion yuan, 33.16 percent higher than the previous year. About 37 million domestic tourists visited Liangshan in 2015, 17.82 percent higher than the previous year.
