It was reported that 2014 China Hunan Tourism Industry Expo was opened in Chenzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center in the morning of September 19, 2014. He Baoxiang–Deputy Governor of Hunan Province announced the opening of the expo. Xiang Lili- Secretary of Chenzhou Municipal Party Committee and Zhang Zhiheng- Director of Hunan Tourism Bureau addressed the welcoming speeches in the opening ceremony. Qu Hai- Deputy Secretary of Chenzhou Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Chenzhou City hosted the ceremony.
Followed the spirit and concept of the earlier four Hunan tourism industry expos, this expo highlighted the theme of“splendid Xiaoxiang, leisure Chenzhou” and was held simultaneously with Hunan Tourism Festival. Compared with last expos, this expo was a comprehensive tourism exhibition with the largest scale and most complete operation types in central China. The features and charms of Chenzhou city as “forest city, leisure city”were greatly highlighted on the preparing of the stands. 400 international standard stands and 25 special stands were set there. The attractive sightseeing, leisure, vocation, tourism, entertainment carnival, self-driving, limo camping devices, smart tourism devices, and etc. were shown on this expo, which indicated new operation trend of future tourism industry.
Xiang Lili and Qu Hai expressed their warm welcome to all the attendants on behalf of Chenzhou Municipal Party Committee, Chenzhou Government and hospitable Chenzhou people. Xiang stated that as a new emerging tourism city, tourism industry was one of the industries with best and rapidest development in Chenzhou city. Due to Chenzhou city promote tourism industry as a strategic industry to keep stable increase, adjust structure, transfer mode, and upgrade well-being condition, Chenzhou city placed great attention to enhance the tourism infrastructure construction, promote the tourism industry with key points on leisure tourism and ecological tourism, and forge it to be “city in the forest, leisure city”, China’s excellent tourism city and hot spring city of China. 28.1961million visitors were received by Chenzhou city in 2013, which became a new increasing pole of Hunan tourism industry.
Xiang Lili said, assisted with the platform of Chenzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center, Chenzhou would well play the roles and functions of the expo to integrate the tourism elements and resources, actively promote the regional tourism cooperation and promote further development of tourism industry. Xiang stated Chenzhou city would try best to handle this expo as a grand tourism meeting with features, good influence and high quality. Xiang was confident that a sound platform would be established among four provinces and their cities to start a new page of regional tourism cooperation.
Zhang Zhiheng stated on his speech that more features as bigger range, larger scale, more theme activities, stronger communication among regions, and etc. were available for this expo compared with earlier ones. He expressed his willing that all visitors would enjoy happy trip in this expo, have fun with the charms of “splendid Xiaoxiang, happy Hunan”, and feel the great expectation to promote the upgrading version of Hunan tourism economy and construction of strong tourism province.
In the opening ceremony, Xiong Fangping- Deputy Director of Hunan Provincial Government Office announced the list of winners of 2014 Hunan Tourism Products Contest. Gao Yangxian- Deputy Director of Hunan Tourism Bureau announced the list of top ten brands of Hunan rural tourism. An inaugurating ceremony for the brands was held accordingly.
After the opening ceremony, He Baoxiang, Xiang Lili, Qu Hai and other leaders visited the stands. It was introduced, some other theme activities as forum for construction of Nanling ecological tourism and ecological function zone, theme carnival of “loving you, Chenzhou”, free traveling in Chenzhou city, and etc. would be held during the period of this expo.
Leaders from relative Hunan provincial subordinate departments, some leaders of cities and autonomous prefectures, some municipal leaders of Chenzhou city, principals of the tourism bureaus of some provinces and cities, professors from famous colleges and institutions of China, and reporters from over 50 media groups attended the opening ceremony.
