Biennial assembly is the highest-level conference on tourism, Yuan Shenggao reports.

Chengdu, the capital city of Southwest China's Sichuan province, is making effort to develop into a national core city.

It is set to demonstrate its beauty and charm to global guests who participate in the United Nations World Tourism Organization General Assembly taking place between Sept 11 and 16.

The six-day UNWTO General Assembly is a biennial event that represents the highest level of conventions in world tourism. Experts will report on the latest developments and forecast new trends in the global industry. It is the first time that the event is held in central and western China.

The event attracted more than 1,500 participants, including officials from UNWTO, ministers of tourism from 150 member countries and other related international organizations.

"On behalf of the Chengdu government and the 16 million residents in the city, I would like to thank UNWTO for choosing Chengdu as the host city of the event," said Luo Qiang, mayor of the city. "I want to extend a warm welcome to global guests participating in the event and traveling around the city."

Chengdu has paid significant attention to organizing this grand event, according to Luo. Many tourism promotion events, such as a Chengdu-themed photography exhibition and a tourism products exhibition, have been organized to demonstrate Chengdu's beauty. Event participants will also have the chance to visit some famous tourism sites in Chengdu to learn about the city's tourism resources and unique culture.

Officially named Chengdu 2,300 years ago, the city has over 4,500 years of civilization history. Unlike other cities in the world, its location has never changed. The city, the hometown of the giant panda, also earned the name Tianfu Zhiguo, literally meaning land of abundance, in ancient times.

With thousands of years of history, Chengdu has accumulated rich cultural resources, such as the ancient Dujiangyan Irrigation Project, Wuhou Temple, Jinsha Site Museum and Dufu Thatched Cottage. The Golden Sun Bird relic dates back 3,000 years. It was excavated from the Jinsha Site in Chengdu in 2001 and has been chosen as the logo representing China's cultural heritage.

The city is also making a name for itself on the global stage for its delicious food, such as hot pot.

Chengdu was recognized as one of the top 10 best tourism destinations in China, winning the Asia Tourism Red Coral Award in 2016. The city ranked as the world's second-highest global destination city in terms of visitor growth rate on the MasterCard 2016 Global Destination City Index.

The local government has been committing to promoting the concept of sustainability in city construction and strengthening cooperation with global cities in the environmental protection field.

Businesses in Chengdu are encouraged to use renewable resources. Clean energy will account for 57.4 percent of the city's total energy consumption, according to the local authorities.

Chengdu became a national low-carbon pilot city in China in early 2017, setting itself the goal of becoming a leader in carbon emission control by 2025.

The city has released a series of projects including a greenery improvement plan, a smog treatment plan and a traffic congestion solution, aiming to develop a modern industry that can support its environmental protection efforts.

"We will actively take measures to stress sustainability development in the coming years," Luo said. "We will maintain a balance between urban development and environmental protection."

Tourism center

Sustainability is also an issue considered by local authorities in the tourism industry development process, according to Luo, as the city builds itself into an international tourism destination.

"We will utilize our existing cultural resources, such as food culture and giant pandas, to promote the integration of the tourism, culture, industry, service and agriculture industries," Luo said. "We will also enhance tourism service quality to guarantee an exciting trip for visitors."

By hosting the 22nd UNWTO General Assembly, Luo said he hopes all tourism-related parties in Chengdu can strengthen their cooperation with UNWTO to boost local tourism industry development.

Chengdu reported 1.2 trillion yuan ($180 billion) GDP in 2016, ranking No 2 among all provincial capital cities in China. It is playing a more important role in supporting global industry development, establishing sister-city relationships with 82 cities around the world.

The Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport is the largest in central and western China. Its international flight service network has expanded to over 80 cities in the world.

Looking ahead, Chengdu's government said it will continue to support its five pillar industries: electronic information, automotive manufacturing, food and beverage, equipment manufacturing and biopharmaceuticals.

It will also give more support to aerospace, rail transportation, energy conservation and environmental protection, new materials and new energy to foster new economic growth engines.

As for its future prospects, the city will facilitate the development of artificial intelligence, precise medical science, virtual reality and other cutting-edge industries to ensure its future competitiveness.

(China Daily 09/13/2017 page6)