Tourism is a bridge for promoting cultural exchanges, a bond for building consensus among the people, and a channel for seeking sustainable development. On November 24th, the SCO Tourism Year 2023 Forum kicked off in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. Hundreds of representatives from SCO countries and international organizations talked about the potential and cooperation of tourism. After the forum, the representatives went to Altay and other places in Xinjiang for visits, and experienced the achievements of Xinjiang's tourism development.
Tourism is an important way to promote mutual understanding
"Tourism is an important way to promote international cooperation and mutual understanding," said Zhang Ming, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, at the opening ceremony of the forum. "The SCO family is vast and prosperous. Starting a SCO tourism trip can fully experience cultural diversity and personally feel the diverse human and natural scenery."
"Xinjiang's diverse culture is what impresses me most. Here, history is well preserved, and people always have a smile on their faces. Qatari News Agency editor Saied Ali Neyyan, who came to Xinjiang for the first time, was deeply attracted by it in just a few days.
"Chatting with local people, walking around and experiencing things first-hand, I have gained a very different feeling from what I have learned on the Internet and in books. When I return this time, I will tell the people of Qatar about the prosperous and beautiful Xinjiang that I have seen with my own eyes," said Sayed Ali Nehyaan.
The world is a big family, and human beings are a community
"The connection between Uzbekistan and China began when Zhang Qian opened the Silk Road," said Salvar Musayev, chairman of the Uzbekistan-China Tourism Development Association. "The starting point of the ancient Silk Road was in China, and Uzbekistan was one of the commercial, scientific, literary and artistic centers on the ancient Silk Road."
During the forum's coffee break, he told the reporter with great enthusiasm that there was a huge potential for tourism cooperation between Uzbekistan and China. "This year, we have organized more than a thousand people to come to China for business tourism."
At the Altay Prefecture Museum, carbonized wheat grains dating back to about 5,200 years ago and unearthed from the Tongtian Cave site attracted many people's attention. At the same site, carbonized millet grains were also discovered.
According to the staff of the Altay Regional Museum, more than 5,000 years ago, wheat produced in Central and West Asia and millet produced in North China met in Altay, and one spread eastward and the other westward, benefiting the East and West worlds together.
Pakistan's Deputy Cabinet Minister Hamad Shami listened carefully to the story of "the meeting of millet and wheat". He sighed and said that as early as a thousand years ago, the East and West civilizations began to exchange and learn from each other. The world is a big family, and human beings are a community.
The development of Xinjiang is one of the best embodiments of China's development
In early winter, the cold weather is getting stronger. Altay, known as the "Snow Capital of China", has already put on its silver clothes and entered the peak season of ice and snow tourism.
At the Jiangjunshan International Ski Resort in Altay City, local herders dressed in traditional costumes and riding on fur skis performed a traditional ski show for guests who came from afar. After the performance, the guests enthusiastically rushed forward to take photos with the herders.
"Selling fur skis, running pastoral tourism, and working as ski instructors... almost everyone in the 'snow city' has a job related to tourism," Chen Yang, the director of planning and marketing at Jiangjunshan International Ski Resort, told reporters. "There are more than 500 employees in the winter ski resort, 80% of whom are local people, with an average salary of nearly 7,000 yuan."
Tourism has greatly promoted local economic development. Ding Yan, a tourism promoter in Altay Prefecture, said that by the end of October this year, Altay Prefecture had received 28.6461 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 63.03%, and realized tourism revenue of 25.048 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 69.19%.
Poverty eradication is a common challenge faced by mankind. China's achievements in achieving poverty reduction and driving the masses to increase their income and become rich through the development of tourism have won the praise of the guests. Hamad Al-Shamimi said, "China's contribution to the world is remarkable, and the development of Xinjiang is one of the best embodiments of China's development. The emerging tourism industry and the perfect supporting tourism facilities in Xinjiang have provided a lot of useful experience for the tourism industry in Pakistan."
"The SCO attaches more importance to cooperation in the humanities, such as tourism, than ever before. By promoting cultural exchanges and enhancing understanding between people of different countries through tourism, we can benefit from economic, social and other aspects," Zhang Ming said.
Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen
Editor Ⅱ: Wu Dan
Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong
