The inaugural Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Expo was kicked off Friday evening in Yangzhou city, Jiangsu province. Alongside a series of cultural exhibitions and food events, thematic forums were held during the ongoing inaugural Grand Canal Tourism Culture Expo to showcase the cultural characteristics of the canal and promote the construction of the Grand Canal cultural belt.
As one of the activities of the inaugural Grand Canal Tourism Culture Expo, the Grand Canal City Cultural Tourism Consumption Forum was held Sunday with the theme of Promoting Cultural Tourism Consumption and Sharing a Better Life.
The White Paper on Cultural Tourism Consumption of the Grand Canal of Jiangsu Province was released at the forum. According to the report, over 4 million foreign tourists visited the Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal last year. The number of tourists is growing year by year, the report shows. In 2018, the Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal generated 1,324.73 billion yuan of tourism revenue, an increase of 13.6% over the previous year.
The Jiangsu section of the Grand Canal is 683 kilometers long. It includes 6 segments in the bidding for UNESCO’s heritage registry and 22 historical heritage sites.
Jiangsu has an inherent advantage in protecting and inheriting the cultural resources of the Grand Canal. Experts and scholars put forward their own views on how Jiangsu will further promote the healthy development of the Grand Canal cultural tourism consumption.
The Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Industry Investment Cooperation Forum was also held Sunday in Yangzhou. Eight cooperation agreements related to investment and financing of the Grand Canal Cultural Tourism were signed.
（source：ourjiangsu.com ）
