In addition to strengthening economic and political ties through the recent visits of President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, China is looking to promote its capital city as a major hub for the U.S. meetings industry. On Friday at Madison Square Garden, the Beijing Tourism Administration hosted a press conference to preview its 2011 "Culture Tour," a promotion designed not only to highlight the historic cultural sites, but also Beijing's post-Olympics developments.
Remarks from Zhang Xinhong, director of the China National Tourism Office in New York, Beijing Tourism Administration's Yang Quan, and Wang Yansheng, cultural attaché of the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China, emphasized new undertakings by the city and its government agencies, such as electronic tour guides in multiple languages, standardized signs in English, and tourist consultation services at major highway junctions. Notably, under a new partnership with Meeting Professionals International, the Beijing Tourism Administration has launched the city's first Certified Meeting Professional training program, hoping to drive more meetings, incentive travel, conferences, and events to the capital. The agency is also introducing a series of policies and financial subsidies to provide incentives for travel and support conferences in the city.
Beijing has already been the site of a number of conventions and business-focused events, including the 2010 World Travel & Tourism Council Summit, and will play host to the Pacific Asia Travel Association's 60th anniversary and conference in April.
