Sichuan launches marketing campaigns

Sichuan province, in the southwest of China, has set a goal to achieve tourism revenues of 580 billion yuan ($ 936 billion) in 2015 and a total of 2.7 million inbound tourists. Sichuan has also launched three international marketing campaigns to attract more overseas visitors, according to the Sichuan Provincial Tourism Bureau.

The three international marketing campaigns are themed on "European Fans of Giant Pandas to Sichuan", "searching for Sichuan cuisine restaurants and culinary capital", and "overseas direct flight cities of Sichuan".

As the starting point of southern Silk Road and the hometown of giant pandas, Sichuan organized an international marketing campaign called European Fans of Giant Pandas to Sichuan, with the theme of Beautiful China -Tourism Year of Silk Road proposed by China National Tourism Administration. To date, Sichuan has selected 12 giant panda fans from six European countries that will join a group of 40 members including experts, cultural figures and foreign famous media of southern Silk Road countries.

The group will start from Europe in May 2015 and drive through 14 countries along the 20,000 kilometer route of the southern Silk Road in two months, including the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Belgium, and Germany. The crew, who will end their journey in Sichuan, and aim to show the world Sichuan's rich tourism resources, products and achievements in protecting and researching giant pandas. Sichuan has also developed a batch of new routes to promote its popularity as an international tourism city, attracting more overseas tourists to the city.

"The tourism industry not only fuels the local economy but it also enhances the cultural exchanges among different countries and promotes their cooperation in all fields," said Wang Dongming, secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the CPC. Wang added that Sichuan will attach more importance to developing its tourism industry and build itself as a global tourism destination with Chengdu as its center.

The number of inbound tourists in Sichuan dropped by 7 percent in 2013 compared with the same period in 2012 when Sichuan received a historical peak of 2.27 million visitors after Lushan county was hit by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake. In 2014, Sichuan received 2.4 million visitors, an increase of 14.6 percent？compared with same period of 2013.

Hao Kangli, head of the Sichuan Provincial Tourism Bureau, said that in order to develop its tourist source markets in North America, Europe (France), East Asia (South Korea and Japan) and Taiwan, Sichuan will hold campaigns such as Sichuan Outbound Direct Flight City Tourism Marketing and Explore Famous Restaurants of Sichuan Cuisine in the Food Paradise. It will also develop Jiuhuang Airport, Guangyuan Airport and Xichang Airport into international airports; open new flights to its main tourist areas and increase their frequency; and work out ways to offer conveniences to overseas tourists.

So far, Sichuan province has issued the Sichuan Inbound Tourism Awarding Measures (For Trial Implementation) and launched tourism projects worth 200 billion yuan. The project, "Bountiful Tianfu Sichuan and Hometown of Giant Pandas" is unfolding, which comprises of a world culinary capital, giant pandas, Jiuzhaigou Valley, Mount Emei, Shangri-la, the 318 National Highway and the southern Silk Road of Sichuan province.