Qingdao to Host the World Tourism Cities Federation Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2018

At the World Tourism Cities Federation Chongqing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2016, Qingdao stood out from many competitors and managed to be chosen to host the WTCF Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2018.

The cities that actively bided for the right to host the WTCF Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2018 included Kunming, Datong, Qinhuangdao and so on. Qingdao finally won the rights to host the 2018 event due to the city’s advantages of unique tourism resources, conventions and exhibitions.

Qingdao is one of the first tourism cities in China and is located in the south of the Shandong Peninsula. It is an important transportation hub of China’s eastern coastal area and the main port for overseas visitors entering and exiting China. With three sides surrounded by sea and a pleasant climate as well as the special historical accumulation, Qingdao has become a famous Chinese tourism destination since the beginning of 20th century.

Qingdao is popular for its magnificent seaside scenery; Lao Shan Mountain, which is near the sea, varies greatly, some parts are higher and some are lower. Furthermore, Qingdao is full of urban landscape with red tiles, green trees, blue sea and sky. The city is also known for European style buildings; former residences of celebrities in modern history and culture; modern resorts, and convention facilities, all of which make Qingdao the most beautiful coastal city in China.

More importantly, Qingdao has rich experience in hosting conventions and activities. Besides hosting the sailing event of Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, Qingdao has also successfully hosted Senior Officials Meeting of APEC 2014, World Horticultural Exposition 2014, International Educational Informationization Meeting, Global Knowledge Economy Meeting, Aoshan Scientific Forum of Europe and Asia, PPP Forum in China 2016, Dairy Industry in China and many other international conventions and exhibitions. The city features excellent hardware and software facilities and accumulated a wealth of experience in conventions and exhibitions. In May, Qingdao held the Founding Conference of the Cruise Committee of WTCF and the 4th China International Cruise Summit (Qingdao) Convenes and the Cruise Committee of WTCF was founded in Qingdao. Qingdao was not only elected to the director unit of Cruise Committee, but also the general place of the secretariat office of the committee. Therefore, Qingdao is worthy of winning the rights, which also induces people to have high expectations of the WTCF Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2018.

In recent years, Qingdao has introduced a series of policies and measures to promote the development of MICE industry such as Opinions on the Acceleration of the Development of High-end Conference and Exhibition Industry in Qingdao, Management Approach on Special Funds for Supporting the Development of MICE industry in Qingdao, and Implementation Opinions on Further Promoting the Development of MICE Industry in order to improve the city conference and exhibition environment, promote the transformation and upgrading of MICE industry, and build a noted MICE city in Northeast Asia. According to the Implementation Opinions on Further Promoting the Development of MICE Industry, in 2020, Qingdao will basically build a MICE system with optimized structure, perfect function, reasonable layout and balanced development. More than 10 branded MICE activities at a high professional level and large international influence will be held, with an annual exhibition area of 4 million square meters, and the direct revenue and the added value of MICE economy will respectively reach 5 billion Yuan and 40 billion Yuan. The continuous growth of the MICE industry’s comprehensive strengthen will promote Qingdao to step toward the regional center of MICE that radiates Northeast Asia.