Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Liu Xiang) news: On the afternoon of May 25, 2025, the "Silk Road Xinjiang, Global Rendezvous" 2025 Xinjiang International Travel Agent Conference took place in Kuqa City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Around 300 attendees participated, including diplomats stationed in China and representatives from tourism organizations across 28 countries and regions. The conference focused on deepening practical collaboration in tourism product development, upgrading tourism services, and exchanging international tourist resources, allowing all parties to share growth opportunities.

Photo shows a scene of the "Silk Road Xinjiang, Global Rendezvous" 2025 Xinjiang International Travel Agent Conference. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Liu Xiang)

In recent years, Xinjiang has capitalized on its distinctive cultural and tourism assets and its strategic location of connecting eight countries through five ports and bridging Europe and Asia to actively develop border tourism, inbound travel, and cross-border tourism, emerging as a premier global tourism destination. In 2024, the region welcomed 5.1483 million international visitors, earning 4.475 billion U.S. dollars in tourism revenue, representing 46 percent and 174 percent year-on-year growth respectively.

Xinjiang is now enjoying unprecedented development opportunities, with tremendous potential for tourism collaboration. The conference featured comprehensive presentations on Xinjiang's cultural and tourism offerings, including contributions from the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. These showcased everything from spectacular natural scenery and rich historical heritage to unique ethnic cultures and diverse travel products, fully highlighting the region's appeal.

The signing ceremony saw cooperation agreements between Xinjiang's Department of Culture and Tourism and three major enterprises: Xinjiang sales branch of PetroChina, Xinjiang sales branch of Sinopec, and Xinjiang branch of Bank of China. These partnerships will combine resources to enhance tourism services, boost marketing efforts, and strengthen financial support, driving high-quality growth in Xinjiang's cultural and tourism sector.

During panel discussions, representatives from international tourism organizations, foreign travel agencies, leading tourism companies, and industry experts explored key topics such as the outlook for Xinjiang's inbound tourism market, strategies to enhance Xinjiang's global tourism appeal, and the expectations of next-generation travelers for Xinjiang. These exchanges offered valuable insights to support the expansion of Xinjiang's tourism industry on the global stage and strengthen its international presence.

Lv Ning, dean of the School of Tourism Science at Beijing International Studies University, considers Xinjiang a globally attractive destination. "With the Belt and Road Initiative progressing and the global economy recovering, Xinjiang's inbound tourism market is entering an era of unprecedented growth," she noted. Thanks to its strategic role as China's western gateway and its unique geographical and resource advantages, Xinjiang is poised for major breakthroughs in policy benefits, infrastructure upgrades, tourism product innovation, market potential exploration, and deeper regional cooperation.

An operations manager at Italy's Mistral Tour Internazionale highlighted Xinjiang's iconic natural attractions like the Tianshan Mountains, Kanas Lake, and the Taklimakan Desert, adding that his team aims to design immersive travel experiences allowing visitors to engage with the region's landscapes through diverse activities, which he thought would be highly appealing to European visitors.

As China's most influential state media, China Media Group (CMG) plays a key role in promoting the country's cultural and tourism brands. "Recently, Xinjiang and CMG have partnered on tourism branding campaigns, using prime-time slots across multiple channels to highlight Xinjiang's vast landscapes," said She Xianjun, deputy convener of CMG's General Manager's Office. He aims to deepen and diversify this collaboration while refining communication strategies to boost the global reputation and influence of China's tourism industry.

Ma Ruiqi, senior manager of external relations at the World Tourism Cities Federation, emphasized that Xinjiang serves as both a premier travel destination and an important cultural bridge. "With its magnificent landscapes, rich cultural traditions, and improving transportation networks, Xinjiang has become increasingly attractive to international tourists," he noted. He encouraged ongoing collaboration to "highlight Xinjiang's distinctive appeal globally, deepen cross-cultural exchange, and foster stronger connections within the international tourism sector."

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