On September 1, 2023, a launch ceremony of the International Tourism Alliance of Silk Road Cities was held in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, along with a series of other activities, including the International Forum on Culture and Tourism Development of Silk Road Cities 2023.

Lu Yingchuan, vice minister in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Wang Shaoxuan, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Jiangxi Provincial People's Congress; Siyabonga Cwele, South African ambassador to China; Liu Feng, representative of the first chairman member city of the alliance and secretary of the Jingdezhen Municipal Party Committee; and other government officials and China-based diplomats delivered keynote speeches. More than 350 people, including government officials, China-based diplomats, experts and industry leaders from various countries, attended the event.

Launch ceremony of the International Tourism Alliance of Silk Road Cities held in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi./CGTN

The International Tourism Alliance of Silk Road Cities, jointly initiated by the Network of International Culturalink Entities (NICE) and well-known tourism cities both at home and abroad, aims to carry forward the Silk Road spirit of "Peace and Cooperation, Openness and Inclusiveness, Mutual Learning and Mutual Benefit," build a bridge for member cities to deepen friendly exchanges and practical cooperation in the field of tourism, and provide institutional guarantee for enhancing the synergy, efficiency and sustainability of relevant cooperation. The alliance holds the "International Forum on Culture and Tourism Development of Silk Road Cities" in rotating presidency cities every year, carries out joint promotion activities on the culture and tourism themes of member cities for enterprises and citizens, and holds official visits, youth exchanges, professional training, study tours, theme routes, festival parties, famous cities' selection and other activities within the framework of the alliance.

The "Jingdezhen Declaration" was also signed and released at the event.

Jingdezhen, which witnessed the founding of the alliance, is one of China's top tourist cities and is well known as the millennia-old world capital of porcelain.

Here is the list of founding member cities of the International Tourism Alliance of Silk Road Cities:

Chinese cities

Datong (Shanxi), Hohhot (Inner Mongolia), Nanjing (Jiangsu), Ningbo (Zhejiang), Quanzhou (Fujian), Jingdezhen (Jiangxi), Qingdao (Shandong), Luoyang (Henan), Wuhan (Hubei), Changsha (Hunan), Guangzhou (Guangdong), Beihai (Guangxi), Guilin (Guangxi), Sanya (Hainan), Chongqing, Chengdu (Sichuan), Lijiang (Yunnan), Xi'an (Shaanxi), Dunhuang (Gansu), Xining (Qinghai), Yinchuan (Ningxia), Kashgar (Xinjiang)

Non-Chinese cities (36 from 25 countries)

Asia

Penang (Malaysia), Naypyidaw (Myanmar), Pokhara (Nepal), Bislig (Philippines), Sorsogon (Philippines), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Chiang Rai (Thailand), Nong Khai (Thailand)

Europe & Central Asia

Sheki (Azerbaijan), Minsk (Belarus), Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgaria), Hévíz (Hungary), Szeged (Hungary), Villány (Hungary), Qonayev (Kazakhstan), Shymkent (Kazakhstan), Turkistan (Kazakhstan), Kulyab (Tajikistan), Bukhara (Uzbekistan), Khiva (Uzbekistan), Kokand (Uzbekistan)

West Asia & North Africa

Hurghada (Egypt), New Valley (Egypt), Semnan (Iran), Amman (Jordan), Petra (Jordan), Tangier (Morocco), Al Ula (Saudi Arabia), Istanbul (Türkiye)

Africa

Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo), Pointe Noire (Republic of the Congo), Masvingo (Zimbabwe)

Europe

Santa Lucija (Malta), Macclesfield (United Kingdom)

Americas

Iguacu (Brazil) , Cancun (Mexico)