The second annual Chongqing Global Travel Agents Conference 2019 launched on November 10th and will run until November 15th.  Organized by Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development and the People’s Government of Nan’an District, the conference aims to promote Chongqing’s tourism industry to domestic and international markets, develop tourism products, and serve as a venue for international exchange and cooperation.

The conference’s itinerary took more than 400 guests from 30 countries and regions, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, and more, on a spectacular journey surveying the current landscape of the tourism industry.

Events include presentations on recent achievements and new highlights of cultural tourism development in the city, project signing, and negotiations.  According to conference officials, "the city has been awarded the titles of the "world's top 10 tourist destinations with development potential," and the "world's capital of hot springs." The city was also honored for two consecutive years as the world's number one fastest growing tourist city by the World Tourism and Travel Council.

Presenters covered many topics that have and will affect the tourism industry in Chongqing, developing inbound-tourism and international trade, inbound tourism, developing platforms, and promoting cooperation.

Wayne Russell, a spokesperson with Wendy Wu Tours, reflected on his time at the conference and his visit to Chongqing, “It has been wonderful and my first time in Chongqing, to experience something different than the other parts of China. We’ve got thousands of people coming from the UK a year to China, what we want to do is promote Chongqing to those travelers who have already been coming to China,” he said adding that his company’s next step is to really hone in on and express the beauty of the region for those back home.

The conference also provided a relevant audience for the release of new tourism products, such as the Mega Bee travel APP was released on November 14th. Xiao Yuan Vice president of marketing Hong Kong travel limited, presented the APP. “Human beings have a natural want to explore the world. Tourism accounts for 10%, why only 10 % could it be more? Technology can assist in generating new opportunities,” he said. “When people think of Chongqing, they think of Jiefengbei, but there are many other opportunities here to explore.” The app has an itinerary plan powered by big data to alert tourists of nearby attractions.

In addition, the discussions at this year’s conference revolved around new incentives policies to bolster the inbound tourism market. Another recent and simple change aimed at increasing access to China’s largest southwestern megacity is a 144-hour free visa. The new transit visa, or G- Visa, will enable visitors connecting international flights in Chongqing to stay and explore the city and surrounding areas for up to 6- days starting December 1st, 2019. Nearby attractions that visitors may find attractive are the Three Gorges, Mountainous City, Local Culture, Hot Spring, and Countryside.