On 18 May local time, the Association of National Tourist Offices in the UK (ANTOR) held its annual industry showcase London session as scheduled. Coinciding with the arrival of the 16th “China Tourism Day”, Zhang Li, Director of the China National Tourist Office (CNTO) London, and Pan Hang, Assistant Director of CNTO London, attended and featured at the event. Centred around the theme “Enjoy Quality Tourism, Journey to Beautiful China”, they carried out China cultural and tourism promotions, working together to deepen practical collaboration between China and the UK in the cultural and tourism sectors.

The event attracted representatives from tourism offices based in the UK representing 14 countries and regions, including China, Germany, Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Japan, South Korea, the Seychelles, the Bahamas, Samoa, and Gibraltar, as well as over a hundred mainstream British travel trade and media representatives. The lively exchanges on-site fully demonstrated the positive expectations of all parties towards promoting international tourism cooperation.

During the country presentation segment, the CNTO London staff screened the latest cultural and tourism promotional video, “China Travel — Nihao! China”, on-site. They provided detailed introductions to the latest developmental achievements, such as visa optimization and facilitation, digital payment applications, and smart travel services, vividly showcasing the diverse cultural and tourism charm of China, where ancient cultural heritage, urban landscapes, and ecological scenery harmoniously coexist. The presentation earned unanimous praise and high recognition from the attending guests.

Subsequently, the Chinese team engaged in one-to-one exchanges with over a hundred British travel trade professionals, focusing on highlighting China’s 30-day visa-free policy for British citizens, and promoting the “China Tourism Course” created by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, aimed at helping British tourism professionals systematically understand China’s cultural and tourism resources and market conditions.

British industry figures attending the event noted that the “China Tourism Course” could help local professionals familiarise themselves with and even delve deeper into the Chinese market, driving the research, development, and promotion of travel products to China. Following the implementation of the visa-free policy, public interest and enquiries regarding travel to China have risen sharply, positioning China once again among the popular long-haul travel destinations for the UK.

It is reported that ANTOR, with its 75-year history, is an authoritative international tourism industry organisation in the UK, currently comprising nearly 60 member units. Its annual industry showcase serves as an important sector platform, primarily bridging global tourism destinations with the British industry to promote the mutual flow of cultural and tourism resources and foster cooperation.