The 22nd session of the UNWTO General Assembly successfully held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China

CHENGDU, China, Nov. 16, 2017 /CNW/ -- The 22^nd session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly was held in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, Chinabetween September 11 and 16, 2017, bringing together over 1,000 participants from over 130 UN member countries worldwide, including more than 70 minister-level officials. Chengdu, the host city of the event, and Sichuan province, once again, drew wide attention across the global tourism industry.

A number of unique Sichuan specialties were showcased at the event, among them selections of the province's iconic teas and embroideries, as well as samplings of its world-renowned cuisine, attracting the admiration of the tourism executives who have come from the four corners of the globe to participate in the event. The participants were extremely impressed with Sichuan's tourism sector following an inspection tour of several well-known tourist attractions across the province, including the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and Dujiangyan.

In addition to being where this year's UNWTO General Assembly was held, Sichuan is also where the World Tourism Alliance was founded. To further promote the province as a travel destination, the municipal government of Chengdu organized a tourism and investment promotion event where a government representative gave a presentation to global tourism executives on the latest development trends and growth potential of city's tourism sector. The government has launched 120 high-end tourism projects which collectively raised investment to the tune of some 685.3 billion yuan (approx. US$102.7 billion). Of note, deals for six of the key projects were signed onsite with a combined value of 61 billion yuan (approx. US$9.1 billion). The deals include a strategic collaborative partnership signed between the government of Chengdu and HNA Group, a strategic cooperation agreement signed between the government of Dujiangyan and Shanghai Zhongyou Real Estate Co., Ltd. for the construction of a Transformers-themed resort hotel and an investment agreement signed between the government of Chongzhou and Hainan Baisha Tianyuan Kangyangcheng Construction Co., Ltd. for the build out of the Huaguoshan health and wellness center project.

"Through the holding of this year's event that has attracted the largest ever number of attendees, Chengdu and Sichuan province will not only benefit from the creative ideas brainstormed at the event but more importantly from what the event will produce in the long run," said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai. "The over 1,000 participants who came from all over the world will serve as a bridge connecting Sichuan's tourism sector to the world by promoting the Chinese province as a preferred tourist destination in their own country when they return home. This is an unprecedented opportunity for the government of Sichuan province and one that it plans to take full advantage of. "

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SOURCE Sichuan Provincial Tourism Development Committee