On 20 May local time, coinciding with the 16th “China Tourism Day” activities, the China National Tourist Office (CNTO) London visited Manchester to participate in the Association of National Tourist Office Representatives (ANTOR) industry promotion event, promoting China’s cultural and tourism resources to the travel industry in Northern England. This event helped widely disseminate the “Nihao! China” national tourism image and steadily boosted interest in UK tourism to China.

As an important tourist city in northern UK, Manchester and the Greater Manchester region boast rich tourism resources and an active international tourism market. The event brought together representatives from tourism boards in the UK representing countries and regions including China, France, South Korea, the Bahamas, Portugal, Samoa, and Miami (USA), as well as aviation industry institutions such as France’s Rennes Bretagne Airport, who actively engaged in exchanges with nearly 100 invited travel industry professionals. Representatives from CNTO London engaged in in-depth, enthusiastic discussions with attendees regarding the development of tourism products to China, market promotion, and tourism services.

During the country-specific tourism promotion session, Pan Hang, Assistant Director of CNTO London, highlighted China’s trial 30-day visa-free entry policy for British citizens, and provided a detailed interpretation of the “China Travel Course” launched by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, helping the British travel industry gain a comprehensive understanding of China’s cultural and tourism resources and market overview. Furthermore, he addressed practical issues of widespread concern within the industry on-site, answering questions one by one regarding entry guidelines, electronic payments, and transport ticketing.

In the subsequent discussion and networking session, local British tour operators showed keen interest in the Chinese tourism market, and multiple agencies conducted in-depth and pragmatic discussions and negotiations with CNTO London based on their actual business development.

Alan Wright, a representative of Failsworth Travel, an established local Manchester travel agency with years of experience in operating Chinese tourism products, noted that interest in Chinese tourism products continues to rise in the local market. He shared that the agency is planning to add China-themed displays to the six glass display windows of its shopfront, promoting tourism products to China in a more eye-catching manner.

Meanwhile, Lisa, Sales Manager at local tour operator Travelfreaks, stated that although they have not yet formally launched Chinese tour itineraries, plans are already in place for a field trip to China in the near future. She hopes to gain a deep understanding of China’s tourism resources and destinations through personal experience, accumulating expertise for the subsequent development of tourism products and specialised routes to China. She added that her years of industry experience have made her firmly believe that “only by experiencing China firsthand can we better design products.”

At the event, travel industry figures reported that with the implementation of China’s visa-free policy and the continuous optimisation of electronic payments and online services, British tourists’ interest in travelling to China has rebounded significantly. Tourism enquiries have grown substantially, and China has once again become a popular long-haul travel destination for the UK market.