International forum helps boost city's reputation as a top tourist destination worldwide, Li Fusheng reports.

An annual international tourism forum in Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region is helping promote the city as a tourist destination both in China and abroad.

The UNWTO/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook, held from Oct 19 to 21, attracted tourism officials, scholars and entrepreneurs from 55 countries and regions, said the organizers.

The forum was organized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, the Guilin city government and Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Diplomats from 51 countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States attended the forum's opening ceremony. Citizens from the 51 countries are allowed to visit Guilin and stay for 72 hours without a visa if they have valid visas and onward flights to a third country.

Zhao Leqin, the top political official in Guilin, said the forum has helped promote the innovative development of the city's tourism industry and enhanced the city's reputation.

The forum was initiated in 2007, and Guilin became the permanent host city in 2009.

The UNWTO said Guilin is the right choice as China has become one of the world's largest tourist destinations and Guilin has been a weathervane for China's tourism development.

Since 2007, the organization has released an annual report on world tourism trends at the forum and many experts and industry insiders say the forum is one of the most important events for them.

Guilin's tourism has been frequently discussed at the forum and some suggestions have been included into the city's tourism development plan.

Wu Wenxue, deputy head of the China National Tourism Administration, said Guilin has benefited from the forum as it has helped it gain a better understanding of the tourism industry worldwide.

The Guilin Mountain and Water Festival, held during the forum, attracted a record number of people this year. Statistics show that the parade of 28 teams and two floats attracted 120,000 local people and visitors.

Organizers of the forum said the event also helps the world to learn more about Guilin, one of the most popular tourist destinations in China.

In 2009, Taleb Rifai attended the forum as secretary-general of the UNWTO. When he cruised along the Lijiang River, he exclaimed that everyone should visit Guilin at least once in their lifetime.

In September, the China Tourism Academy included the Lijiang River on the list of China's top 10 tourist destinations.

Statistics are the most telling evidence of Guilin's growing popularity. According to the city government, the number of inbound visitors to the city has been growing at around 10 percent each year.

From January to August, Guilin received 28.26 million visitors, a 9.15 percent increase year-on-year, with the number of overseas visitors 1.47 million.

Tourism generated 31.48 billion yuan ($4.87 billion) in the eight months for the city, a 20.44 jump from the same period in the previous year. Of this, overseas visitors contributed 4.47 billion yuan, a 17.28 percent rise year-on-year.

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(China Daily 12/18/2015 page10)