Chengdu and Chongqing are parallel in the natural landscape and diverse in cultural features, both of which are sought-after among tourists around the world. With the continuous growth of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, the cultural tourism industry in both regions has availed itself of scores of opportunities. Recently, the Tourism Chambers of Commerce of Chongqing and Sichuan carried out in-depth discussion on expediting the construction and promotion of cultural tourism product systems in Chengdu and Chongqing.
The two sides also entered into a strategic cooperation agreement on “Jointly Promoting the Integrated Development of Cultural Tourism Economy in Chengdu and Chongqing” as the first response to the strategic planning of Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle. What benefits will the integrated development of Chengdu and Chongqing bring to the cultural tourism industry in the two regions? How should companies in the two regions seize the opportunity?
Sichuan and Chongqing reached an agreement on the integrated development of the cultural tourism economy
At the end of last year, the 1st Chongqing-Chengdu Tourism Sharing and Development Cooperation Activities was launched, introducing the first batch of 24 highly-recommended routes between Chengdu and Chongqing as mutual tourist destinations.
Hot pot is the signature food in Chongqing.
On January 3 this year, the sixth meeting of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs led to a significant decision on driving the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, thus bringing the two regions to a new starting point for cooperation and mutual benefits.
The signing of the Agreement will further deepen the cooperation and exchanges in the development of cultural tourism economy between the two regions, and prompt the two to strengthen regional cooperation in the cultural tourism economy. In the Agreement, the two sides reached a consensus on sharing tourism resources, enhancing tourism exchanges and cooperation, integrating technical resources such as scenic spots and hotels, strengthening tourism information exchanges, and advancing the construction of major tourism projects.
Liu Fang, Chairman of the Chongqing Tourism Chamber of Commerce, stressed that Chengdu and Chongqing, as two crucial elements in the development of western China, boast distinct superiority in tourism resources, regional characteristics, and gourmet culture. Through capitalizing on their unique advantages of social organizations in the regional comprehensive tourism industry, the two regions will jointly further the construction and promotion of their cultural tourism product systems.
It means that the two sides have come to an agreement on policy, which will boost the integrated development of the cultural tourism economy of Sichuan and Chongqing.
Some regions have rolled out joint tourist routes
The magnificent view of Three Gorges
Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, one of China’s first national-level tourist cards, pools a myriad of tourists from home and abroad to take a cruise ship every year. On April 12, based on the peculiar landscape resources in the scenic area, Wushan and Fengjie launched the superior short-distance cruise route of “Fantastic and Magnificent Two Gorges and One Peak,” which will be put into operation on May 1.
Tongnan joins the one-hour economic circles of Chongqing and Chengdu, two national-level central cities, and Suining serves as the core of the Sichuan Basin in the middle reaches of the Fujiang River. Currently, the two places are rapidly propelling a range of co-hosted cultural activities of co-building the “Pan-Fujiang River Basin Culture” brand. Pivoting on well-received and quality local products, the two are jointly developing a batch of cultural and creative tourism commodities and special delicacies. Relying on the tourism channel along the Fujiang River, the two are concertedly building a high-quality demonstration zone for inheriting and integrating Bashu culture. Besides, the two places have coordinately launched a series of themed tourist routes and enabled residents of the two places to share tourism resources.
In addition to Wushan, Fengjie, Suining, and Tongnan, dozens of regions in Sichuan and Chongqing are now powering the integration of cultural tourism.
The two places can be deeply linked to food, housing, travel, and shopping
Regarding the development prospect of the cultural tourism integration between Chengdu and Chongqing, Liao Wei, General Manager of Chongqing China Travel Service Group, highlighted that Chongqing’s unique landscapes and cultural features such as three-dimensional landscape, night scene, and Anti-Japanese War Culture are different from yet complementary with Sichuan’s advantageous resources such as Chuanxi Plain and leisure culture. Based on convenient transportation networks involving buses, high-speed rails, expressways, and airplanes between the two places, the integration of transportation cards and fare settlement modes will further the interaction between residents of Chengdu and Chongqing.
Liao Wei said that the cultural tourism industry had suffered a certain impact caused by the epidemic, which challenges tourism enterprises to a life-and-death struggle. Therefore, these enterprises should seek to live on through transformation. Taking display mode as an example, enterprises can recover from the epidemic by increasing followers through such online channels as travel guides, VR displays, and live streaming. By harnessing the advantages of online stores and customer accumulation, travel agencies can expand to non-tourism businesses such as sales of Sichuan’s and Chongqing’s cultural tourism products to seek new business growth points.