News Release:
Europe & China Collaborate For Tourism Exchange
The European Travel Commission Reports On This Year's Bilateral Cooperation Between The Two Destinations Via Planned Events in Both Countries To Welcome And Familiarize Travelers With Each Other’s Cultures & Attractions.
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved through European Travel Commission's website via Google.
To further bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding, the EU and China have designated 2018 as the EU-China Tourism Year, with events planned in both countries to welcome and familiarize travelers with each other’s cultures and attractions. The program’s goals are cooperation in the areas of peace, prosperity, sustainable devel-opment and people-to-people exchanges. Europe is the leading destination for inter-national tourist arrivals worldwide. Tourism is one of the economic sectors with considerable potential for generating growth and jobs in the EU. Furthermore, China continues to consolidate its position as the world’s largest travel market in terms of both outbound travel and expenditure, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
The first event in this initiative saw more than 50 landmarks, iconic sites and venues across Europe illuminated in red in celebration of the Lantern Festival, a traditional part of Lunar New Year’s festivities, building a symbolic bridge of light to China. Participating locations included renowned UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Pont du Gard in France as well as lesser-known destinations such as the National Athenaeum in Bucharest, Romania, spread across 18 EU countries. China will reciprocate on May 9, 2018, celebrating “Europe Day”, with a number of Chinese sites including the famous Macao Tower illuminated in the blue of the EU flag. Europe saw a 16% increase in tourist arrivals from China in 2017, with a record 13.4 million arrivals. EU-China Tourism Year seeks to promote the European Union as a travel destination for Chinese travelers, as well as travel to China by Europeans.
More info and activities planned for the initiative can be found at the EU-China Tourism Year website.