The 2022 International Forum on Culture and Tourism Development of Silk Road Cities was held in Zhongwei, Ningxia Hui autonomous region on July 18-19.

Zhang Xu, deputy-minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China and Wang Daoxi, deputy chairman of Ningxia Hui autonomous region, attended the event. Ali Asghar Shalbafian, tourism deputy of Iranian Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Ministry (ICTHM) joined the forum online.

Zhang addressed the forum and said the Belt and Road Initiative has entered a new period with fruitful achievements and steady development since it was launched in 2013.

“The initiative contributed Chinese ideas to the global development and management system and the building of a community with a shared future of mankind. Areas of cooperation and innovative communication channels should be continuously expanded. Practical cooperation needs to be deepened to create a new era of cultural and tourism communication as well as cooperation under the guidance of the Belt and Road Initiative.”

Wang said the forum will lay a foundation for future cultural exchange and industry cooperation among countries along the Silk Road.

Shalbafian suggested improving infrastructure along the Silk Road and taking the cultural heritage along the Silk Road as the focus of the declaration to UNESCO, and enhancing the tourism influence of the cities along the Silk Road.

During the forum, representatives from enterprises, experts from home and abroad discussed a series of topics concerning cultural heritage tourism.

The forum was held by the Bureau of the International Communication and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Ningxia Hui autonomous region and Network of International Culturalink Entities.