The 2020 Shandong Tourism Development Conference and the first China International Cultural Tourism Fair opened on Sept 16 in Jinan, capital of Shandong province.

The event, which will be the largest to be held in Shandong this year, will focus on the exhibition and sale of cultural tourism products, and the promotion of tourism routes and the "Friendly Shandong" brand, in a bid to stimulate cultural tourism.

Liu Jiayi, Party secretary of Shandong, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony. [Photo/dzrb.dzng.com]

During his speech at the opening ceremony, Liu Jiayi, Party secretary of Shandong, said that "Friendly Shandong" is a well-known tourism brand that highlights the hospitality and generosity of Shandong people.

Liu said that Shandong, home to many important historical figures, has a rich history and culture and boasts beautiful natural scenery. He encouraged people from around the world to visit the province.

Li Qun, vice minister of China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said that China's rapid containment of COVID-19 and subsequent economic recovery offer hope to the tourism industry, which was hit hard by the pandemic.

Li said that the event was held at the right time, as domestic tourism is recovering quickly.

"Shandong is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, and the province is working to integrate culture and tourism," he said, adding that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will support the development of culture and tourism in Shandong.

The Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism signs cooperation agreements with popular Chinese travel-service providers such as Ctrip and Lvmama, on-demand services platforms such as Meituan, and tech giants such as Alibaba and Tencent. [Photo/dzrb.dzng.com]

Duan Qiang, president of the World Tourism Alliance, said in his speech that Shandong has a long history, profound cultural deposits, and many tourism attractions, and it has among the largest tourism industries in China.

"In recent years, Shandong has attached great importance to the development of its culture and tourism industries and has become one of the world's most popular cultural tourism destinations."

Duan said that the World Tourism Alliance will support the development of Shandong's culture and tourism industries, strengthen cooperation with the province in various fields, and contribute to the high-quality development of Shandong's culture and tourism sectors.

The event has also attracted the support of many international organizations, national and regional officials, and international celebrities.

The six-day event, running until Sept 21, will promote over 200 key cultural and tourism projects with the aim of further stimulating consumption.

The added value of the cultural and tourism industries in Shandong province is expected to reach 1.4 trillion yuan ($206 billion) by 2022.

The 2020 Shandong Tourism Development Conference and the first China International Cultural Tourism Fair open on Sept 16 in Jinan, capital of Shandong province. [Photo/dzwww.com]