The 8th Maritime Silk Road (Fuzhou) International Tourism Festival kicked off in Fuzhou on November 17. With the theme of “Gathering on the Maritime Silk Road Gateway: A Future of Learning and Winning from Each Other We Create,” the event highlights “international characteristics, Maritime Silk Road characteristics, and cultural and tourism characteristics.” It features various exciting activities, including the launch ceremony, a cultural tourism dialogue, a grand cultural and tourism experience event “Maritime Silk Road-Themed Wonders Night,” the Fujian Tourism Expo 2023, the 13th Fuzhou International Hot Spring Tourism Festival, and the International Art Exhibition of Fu Culture and the Cultures of Countries along the Maritime Silk Road “Tracing Back to the Origin of Silk Road.” The festival will continue until mid-December.
While showcasing the image of Fuzhou, this year’s festival further burnishes the brand of “Maritime Silk Road Starting Point, Refreshing Fujian,” helping Fujian become a world-renowned tourist destination frequently visited and remembered by tourists, and attract more domestic and international friends to embark on a “blessed journey” and feel the unique allure of Fujian as a green land, a tourist destination, and a cultural highland.
With a strong international flavor, the festival brought together ambassadors of Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, Seychelles and other countries to China, international dignitaries, representatives of the United Cities and Local Governments Asia Pacific, the World Tourism Alliance, and the International Mountain Tourism Alliance, as well as delegates from friendly cities along the Maritime Silk Road.
This year’s festival continues to showcase the international brand of Mindu culture in a diversified manner. In addition to the main activities, there are also supporting activities such as the 13th Fuzhou International Hot Spring Tourism Festival, the International Art Exhibition of Fu Culture and the Cultures of Countries along the Maritime Silk Road “Tracing Back to the Origin of Silk Road,” and the opening ceremony of the Maritime Silk Road International Tourism Center. These activities highlight the profound Mindu culture, present Fuzhou’s achievements of international cooperation in culture and tourism, and promote the “blessed city of Fuzhou.”
This year, the Maritime Silk Road International Tourism Festival focuses on providing tourists with new experiences in digital and intelligent tourism scenes. It has introduced a series of new and immersive tourism experience items, and various cultural tourism products for citizens and tourists, aiming to create a cultural and tourism feast. It has drawn the participation of nearly 500 exhibitors and 1,500 guests, as well as more than 6.5 million visitors, both online and in-person. It recorded over 100 million yuan in total on-site contract amount and consumption, both online and offline.
This year’s festival also integrates local characteristics such as ecology, folk customs, hot springs, and cuisine. The concurrent 13th Fuzhou International Hot Spring Tourism Festival chooses Yongtai County as the main venue, together with other hot spring scenic spots in Minhou County, Minqing County, Fuqing City, Cangshan District, and Lianjiang County, and collaborates with the World Federation of Hydrotherapy and Climatotherapy and hot spring associations in Taiwan for the first time to showcase Fuzhou’s high-quality and distinctive hot spring resources. During the festival, through online and offline promotions, activities such as “photo-taking and ticket-winning” and “one-yuan hot spring experience” are launched to attract more tourists to enjoy hot springs in Fuzhou.
Since its inception in 2015, the Maritime Silk Road International Tourism Festival has effectively stimulated consumption in multiple fields such as transportation, accommodation, catering, shopping, and entertainment, achieving the goal of boosting economic development with festivals. It has strongly promoted the development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, accelerated the construction of an ecotourism city, and continuously enhanced the international influence of Fuzhou’s culture and tourism, allowing more domestic and international tourists to experience the unique charm of the “blessed city.” As an important birthplace of the Maritime Silk Road, Fuzhou will take the winning of the inaugural Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities (Shanghai Award) as a new starting point, further promote the construction of a cultural and creative corridor, vigorously develop the cultural and tourism economy, and speed up the construction of an ecotourism city.