2023 China (Guangdong) International Tourism Industry Expo Successfully Held in Guangzhou

Hosted by Culture and Tourism Development and Support Center of Guangdong Province and organized by GZL International Travel Service Ltd, 2023 China (Guangdong) International Tourism Industry Expo (hereinafter referred to as the “CITIE”) was held in Guangzhou from September 15-17, 2023, The total exhibition area of CITIE 2023 is about 30000 square meters, with three themed exhibition halls: International Culture and Tourism Hall, Culture and Tourism Hall, and Culture and Tourism Consumption Experience Hall.

Around 3000 exhibitors from more than 50 countries and regions, 30 provinces (autonomous regions, cities), including 21 cities in Guangdong province, participated in the exhibition. Shaoguan city has been the “Partner Tourism Destination” for six consecutive years.

During the 3-day event, 12 industrial associations from both inside and outside the province organized the groups with nearly a thousand professional buyers visiting and purchasing on-site. More than 30 themed activities were held, attracting a total of 43000 visitors.

Further deepened international culture and tourism exchanges and cooperation

For the first time, emerging overseas destinations such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates of Ras Al Khaimah, Georgia, St. Petersburg, Kamchatka Peninsula, Amurskaya Oblast and Novgorod Oblast have participated in the exhibition. Malta has established its first independent image booth in South China. International guests came in droves, with representatives from Cuba and Tunisia in China, as well as officials from consulates general of 28 countries in Guangzhou, attended the Opening Ceremony of CITIE 2023 and participated in VIP tours and various themed activities. They fully recognized the successful hosting of CITIE 2023 and the development of the culture and tourism industry in Guangdong Province.

Tanzania, Malta, Thailand, Georgia and other   international cultural performances and characteristic tourism promotions have been held in turn, providing citizens and tourists with a one-stop platform to understand and experience the culture and tourism customs of different countries and regions, effectively promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Guangdong and relevant countries and regions.

Established an platform for industrial cooperation and exchange

During CITIE 2023, central enterprises such as China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Mobile, and China Green Development Investment Group, as well as well-known domestic and foreign institutions such as the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Swarovski Optics have participated in depth, and brought major projects, key activities and important products to carry out cultural and tourism resource docking and project negotiation with industrials in Guangdong.

Moreover, the organizing committee has invited industrial associations and high-quality buyers from both inside and outside the province to participate in CITIE 2023, and held the Speed Matching Meeting to build a platform of one-on-one and face-to-face business exchanges and supply and demand docking for domestic and foreign buyers and exhibitors. Statistics shows that CITIE 2023 has reached nearly ten thousand business meetings in three days, achieving effective supply and demand docking.

Multiple industrial exchange activities of “Guangdong Culture and Tourism Industry Faction” were held to promote development and cooperation, gathering new momentum for innovation in models, formats, and products of culture and tourism industry.

Offered a wonderful culture and tourism consumption feast for the public

A total of 15 travel agencies and OTAs has participated in CITIE 2023, providing about 100000 discount travel routes, with a profit of over 100 million yuan. The discount products cover six major tourism elements of “catering accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping and entertainment”, and offer a wonderful culture and tourism consumption experience to the public during the exhibition.

Moveover, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province organized the third round of cultural and tourism consumption subsidy activities during the exhibition, distributing culture and tourism consumption vouchers in a total of 5 million yuan, which is expected to directly drive tourism consumption of over 25 million yuan. The participating travel agency GZL Travel stated that its sales exceeded 20 million yuan during the three-day event, an increase of nearly 50% compared to the GITF in May this year and the data in the domestic tourism sector is comprehensively better than the same period at CITIE 2023. As a major trend in the industry, CITIE has demonstrated a strong momentum of recovery in the culture and tourism market.

New and trendy gameplay showcases the youthfulness of the culture and tourism market

CITIE 2023 innovatively launched the “Guangdong Youth Expo Walk”, attracting more than 730 young students to sign up and participate in the “treasure hunt”, “play” and “take photos” on-site. Related topics have aroused heated discussion on mainstream social media platforms such as Little Red Book, Tiktok and Bilibili, and helped the tourism brand of Guangdong province to become more famous among youth groups.

A smart culture and tourism metaverse experience zone was set up during the exhibition, utilizing 3D, AR, VR and other technologies to attract numerous industry professionals and young citizens to experience and interact on-site.

In addition, various culture and tourism new products and scenes such as RV camping, nighttime economy, and trendy cultural and creative activities are eye-catching, showcasing the driving force and vitality of the culture and tourism industry in the Greater Bay Area, presenting new trends in the development of the culture and tourism industry, and highlighting the characteristics of the market’s youthfulness, depth, and quality.

Assist in the construction of world-class tourist destinations in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

CITIE 2023 has set up characteristic exhibition areas such as the Guangdong Themed Image Hall, the Guangdong Culture and Tourism Consumption and New Business Forms and Scenarios Themed Exhibition Area, and the Guangdong Rural Tourism and Creative Cultural Products Achievement Exhibition Area, fully showcasing new scenes and gameplay such as “Culture and Tourism plus Technology”, “Culture and Tourism plus Film and Television”, “Culture and Tourism plus Rural Revitalization”, “Culture and Tourism plus Creative Cultural Products”, and “Culture and Tourism plus Animation”.

17 popular enterprises in new business formats from across the province participated in the exhibition, showcasing the series of culture and creative product projects of Guangdong theatre, over 400 rural cultural and creative products, and the Energy Cycling Digital Experience Project in Kaiping Diaolou, comprehensively showcasing   high-quality culture and tourism resource products and public service supply in Guangdong.

The joint efforts of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao have showcased the power and vitality of the culture and tourism industry in the Greater Bay Area to the industrial professionals and citizens, attracting more tourists to come and further empowering the construction of world-class tourism destinations in the Greater Bay Area.