UNWTO Silk Road Programme represented at 3rd Maritime Silk Road (Fuzhou) International Tourism Festival, China
The Maritime Silk Road (Fuzhou) International Tourism Festival took place on 19-20 November 2017. The Festival was established in 2015 to connect ASEAN, Taiwan and China mainland. It promotes exchange and cooperation between countries and regions along the Maritime Silk Road. The 2017 event involved more than 300 tour operators and journalists from over 30 countries. The attendance included CNTA, PATA and consular representatives from Singapore and the Philippines as well as senior officials from tourism departments of Australia (Tasmania), Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Thailand and Turkey. In addition, representatives from the coastal provinces of China’s MSR Tourism Promotion Alliance took part.
On day 1, the Opening Ceremony took place in Fuzhou’s Straits Exhibition Centre, followed by the Domestic and Foreign Travel Agent Procurement Conference. In the afternoon the Maritime Silk Road International Tourism Summit was held at the State Rock Museum in Fuzhou’s famous Three Lanes and Seven Alleys.
UNWTO’s consultant, Mr Robert Travers delivered the keynote address on the Tourism potential of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The Maritime Silk Road comprises an extensive network of maritime itineraries, offering exceptional experiences, heritage and culture, the tourism potential of which still needs to be discovered and enhanced.
In his speech, Mr Robert Travers stressed that in a globalized age travel patterns and interests have changed: “Experience Economy”, “Experiential Travel” and “Authentic Experience” make reference to the fact that people seek experiences outside the norm – a distinctive touch that Maritime Silk Road destinations can provide. The Maritime Silk Road thematic route has the potential to enhance abilities and tourism attributes of destinations. By joining strengths and collaborating, Maritime Silk Road destinations can create a new and unified Maritime Silk Road product that goes beyond individual destinations.
Following the summit, delegates visited the new Zheng He Maritime Museum within the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys heritage site.
On Day 2 delegates experienced some of Fuzhou’s stunning mountain scenery and its famous hot springs. A visit to a jasmine tea factory was also organised. Jasminum sambac (Arabian jasmine) has travelled the Silk Roads over land and sea. The plant is native to the high Himalayas, and was beloved in ancient Persia (Iran); from there it reached China, Indonesia and the Philippines. It is said to have been brought to the port of Fuzhou in China during the Western Han period (206 BCE to 24 CE) as part of a tribute to the Emperor. In Fuzhou province the unique process of making jasmine tea was developed. High quality green tea is steeped in jasmine flowers repeatedly so that the aroma of jasmine infuses the tea. This lengthy process is repeated between four and nine times.The whole process was explained for delegates at the Fujian Chunlun factory who sampled this unique product of the historic Maritime Silk Road.
Press Clipping:
CCTV 4
China PLUS
CNTA (English)
CNTA
Fuzhou Daily Newspaper
China News
Additional information:
Presentation of Mr Robert Travers
21st Century Maritime Silk Road: Tourism Opportunities and Impacts
Mr Travers met with the Ministerial Cultural Tourism Acceleration Development Team and held a research seminar with this key group. The attendance of 57 tourism leaders was of great assistance to the research assignment. Attendees included leading tour operators, officials from the Ministries of Tourism, Education and Marine Affairs, as well as from the Cabinet Office, the Jakarta Old Town Authority, and from Jakarta Province. The group highlighted the importance of Indonesia’s Spice Route heritage and helped identify potential tourism products that could be developed based on the Maritime Silk Road theme. In particular, the potential to link more destinations in the Indonesian archipelago was highlighted, including the importance of developing ports, harbours, ferry services and inter-island cruising. The theme of Cheng Ho (Zeng He, the great Chinese admiral of the early 15th century) was also discussed: Indonesia has already developed an innovative tourism development and marketing strategy around this key figure of the ancient Maritime Silk Road.
Mr Travers then travelled to Old Batavia, a candidate World Heritage Site which was central to the later Maritime Silk Road: It was the headquarters of the Dutch East Indies Company, the VOC. Here he visited the National Maritime Museum and experienced a City Walking Tour which has was led by the community-based tourism operator Betourist.
