Honorable Minister Sun Yeli, Dean Dai Bin, distinguished leaders and colleagues, hello! It is my honor to be invited to participate in this China Tourism Group Development Forum to discuss the development and responsibilities of tourism enterprises.

On December 2 this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the fourth "Belt and Road" construction work symposium that "we should focus on promoting high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" mechanism and ensure the steady and far-reaching progress of high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road." Dean Dai Bin put forward the guiding ideology of "building a community of shared future for world tourism, promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and enriching the world's garden of civilizations." This is the guiding ideology for building a world tourism community.

As a tourism enterprise, Shaanxi Tourism Group actively responds to the national "Belt and Road" initiative and firmly believes in the new development path of the tourism industry, which is to "go global, attract investment, and share the splendor with the world." I once presided over the application of Silk Road sites, represented by Xi'an Daming Palace, for World Cultural Heritage status. I have always believed that the Silk Road is a unique cross-border, cross-ethnic, and cross-cultural tourism resource. The Silk Road is the perfect way for Shaanxi tourism to go global. Only through the perspective of the Silk Road can we explore new development paths for Shaanxi tourism on the path of high-quality development. Here, I would like to share some of our practices and experiences.

Responding to the "Belt and Road initiative, opening a new chapter for Silk Road cultural tourism

The Four Seas Chinatown project, started in 2012, marks the launch of Shaanxi Tourism Group's global layout for Silk Road cultural tourism. Relying on the unique resources and location advantages of the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, Shaanxi Tourism Group has built "Four Seas Chinatown" around the Daming Palace ruins. Inspired by the cohesion of overseas Chinese culture from all over the world, it has restored five Chinatown archways from Liverpool, UK; Montreal, Canada; Sydney, Australia; The Hague, Netherlands; and Port Louis, Mauritius. It is a new cultural space and tourism scene integrating culture, tourism, and commerce.

In 2018, with the Xi'an and Sanya Silk Road Happy World projects, we empowered the Silk Road cultural IP to boost the tourism industry. The Xi'an Silk Road Happy World, with an investment of 4.5 billion yuan, is the largest theme park in China north of the Yangtze River and the first Silk Road cultural theme park in China. The seven districts—Magical China, Desert Secret Realm, Gorgeous Persia, Ganges Elephant Valley, Dream Snow Country, Glorious Rome, and Sunny Greece—fully showcase the charm of the Silk Road. Amusement facilities such as the mirage embody the interpretation of Silk Road culture and serve as a window for cultural exchange.

Deepening the "Belt and Road" construction, integrating culture, tourism, sports, and commerce into the world

1. Following sporting events to travel, leading a new trend in the integration of tourism and sports.

Against the backdrop of the deep integration of tourism and sports, Shaanxi Tourism Group's sports group has created a series of brand events using sporting events as a medium.

In June 2023, we successfully held Messi's China tour in Beijing, with the 60,000-seat Workers' Stadium filled to capacity. In 2024, we held the World Snooker Xi'an Masters, bringing together top snooker players from around the world. Through the event, we promoted the development of the sports tourism industry chain and achieved a virtuous cycle of "promoting tourism through events and promoting events through tourism."

Shaanxi Tourism Group, responding to General Secretary Xi Jinping's call to "get 300 million people to fall in love with ice and snow sports," introduced the Italian NEVEPLAST four-season ski slope, a leading global dry snow company, and built the only outdoor four-season ski resort in Northwest China. We have built a dual ice rink sports mall, with an international standard ice rink that is leading in China.

2. Interpreting Chinese culture in international languages and strengthening the Silk Road cultural tourism IP.

By deeply exploring the essence of Chinese culture and Silk Road culture and conducting generational research on Zhou culture and clothing, the "Zhouyuan Clothing Language Zhou Culture Clothing Show" was successfully staged at the China Cultural Center in Paris on October 1 this year, interpreting traditional Chinese culture in a fashionable way. This is a new practice to enhance China's ability to communicate its culture to the outside world.

Shaanxi Tourism Film Company's productions, such as the humanistic documentaries "Snow: The Unfinished Road" and "In Memory of Norman Bethune," use film and television language to promote exchanges between China and other countries.

Shaanxi Ethnic Orchestra, under Shaanxi Tourism Group, is a powerful tool for empowering scenic spots. Famous symphonies such as "Forever Mountain Dan Dan" and "Silk Road and Homeland" provide tourists with multi-faceted spiritual experiences.

3. Integrating with the world and promoting tourism industry exchanges and cooperation.

In October 2023, Shaanxi Tourism joined the United Nations World Tourism Organization. This October, we revisited the headquarters of the UNWTO to jointly promote Silk Road tourism and relaunch the "Silk Road Special Action Plan."

Embracing the world and writing a new chapter in the "Belt and Road"

First, the combination of performing arts and tourism. "The Voice of the Silk Road," an original musical jointly produced by Shaanxi Tourism Group and the American Broadway company Nederlander, has toured in many cities including Beijing and Chengdu, with full houses and rave reviews. At the 14th China-US Tourism High-Level Dialogue in May this year, "The Voice of the Silk Road" was widely praised by the tourism circles of both countries as a major appreciation program. A global tour will be launched soon. At the same time, we will also bring the large-scale real-scene performance "Marco Polo" to Xi'an and Venice, Italy, achieving "dual-city dual-performance." The Shaanxi Ethnic Orchestra's "Forever Mountain Dan Dan" and "Da Qinling" will soon go abroad. We will establish overseas performing arts operations in Venice, New York, and Toronto.

Second, the combination of sports and tourism. On December 3, Shaanxi Tourism Group participated in the 2024 3rd World Sports Tourism Congress in Madrid. The "Yellow River Sightseeing Road International Cycling Race" will rival the Tour of Qinghai Lake, Tour of China, and Tour de France. The "Yellow River Highway (New Energy) Car Rally" will make people fall in love with Yellow River tourism. These events will become more international, professional, and commercial brand events. We are preparing for the 2025 United Nations Sports Tourism Congress, managing and operating the Xi'an International Football Center, and inviting international clubs led by heavyweight stars to Xi'an for friendly matches, using the appeal of high-end events to guide tourists to "follow the events to travel."

Third, technology combined with tourism, we are committed to promoting digital technology to Silk Road tourism. The group's tourism data platform and the magical leap of Silk Road Happy World are operating well, and we are currently introducing Dunhuang Wonders. Cooperation with Uzbekistan on a cross-national tour exhibition of the "Digital Silk Road," including digital museums and digital collections, is underway.

The Chinese tour guide training course held in Uzbekistan has been well-received. A Chinese tourism promotion and visitor service center has been set up at Tashkent Airport to provide convenience for Silk Road tourists.

Shaanxi Tourism Group always adheres to the concept of "a strong tourism nation and corporate responsibility", practices the "Belt and Road" initiative, and provides global tourists with richer, more diverse, and higher-quality tourism experiences. Together, we strive to tell the story of China, the story of the Silk Road, expand the Silk Road tourism industry, and demonstrate our responsibility in building a strong tourism nation.