2026 Xinjiang Traveling Salesman Procurement Conference draws over 3,000 travel agents

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Abiba) news: The 2026 Xinjiang Traveling Salesman Procurement Conference and Xinjiang Study Tourism Development Conference took place in Urumqi on March 24, 2026. The event drew more than 3,000 travel agents and tourism businesses from across China and countries such as Tajikistan, with the number of exhibitors nearly doubling from the previous edition.

Photo shows the 2026 Xinjiang Traveling Salesman Procurement Conference and Xinjiang Study Tourism Development Conference held in Urumqi on March 24, 2026, in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Abiba)

Organized jointly by the China Xinjiang·Central Asia Tourism Cooperation Alliance and the Xinjiang Travel Agents Association, among others, the conference featured themed exhibition zones covering scenic spots, hotels and homestays, tourism transportation, specialty catering, cultural and creative products, and digital cultural tourism, representing the full industry chain. During the event, travel agents held in-depth discussions with Xinjiang-based tourism businesses, and many companies signed strategic cooperation agreements on site, focusing on areas such as mutual tourist exchanges, joint development of travel routes, and resource sharing.

Wu Feng, President of the Xinjiang Travel Agents Association, noted that the number of exhibitors grew from over 1,700 to more than 3,000 this year. "The market response has far exceeded expectations, which fully demonstrates the industry's strong confidence in the development of cultural tourism in Xinjiang," he said. He added that the composition of exhibitors has become more diverse, with new business formats such as catering, homestays, travel photography platforms, and AI travel services joining traditional travel agencies and hotels.

Photo taken on March 24, 2026 shows the opening ceremony of the 2026 Xinjiang Traveling Salesman Procurement Conference and Xinjiang Study Tourism Development Conference in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Abiba)

Wu Feng described the conference as a key spring matchmaking event for Xinjiang's cultural tourism industry, as well as an important effort to boost the sector and stimulate consumer spending. "This platform enables high-quality tourism resources to be efficiently connected, and it deepens resource sharing and complementary advantages among businesses, providing sustained momentum for the high-quality development of Xinjiang's cultural tourism industry," he said.

Ma Hongliang, General Manager of Xinjiang Ili Kanghui International Travel Agency, said that through his participation in the previous conference, his agency successfully established ties with cultural tourism resources in Kazakhstan and facilitated the exchange of thousands of tourists last year. He expressed hope to further expand into the Tajikistan market this year. The agency has already formed long-term strategic cooperation intentions with more than 300 travel agents.

Photo taken on March 24, 2026 shows enterprises promote their businesses to each other at the 2026 Xinjiang Traveling Salesman Procurement Conference and Xinjiang Study Tourism Development Conference in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Abiba)

Ke Changliang from Shenzhen Lvtong Software Technology Co., Ltd., a first-time participant, said he was impressed by the broad potential of Xinjiang's cultural tourism market. The AI-powered cultural tourism products he brought to the event connected with over 30 travel agencies in less than an hour.

The procurement conference will run until March 25. During this period, new Xinjiang specialty tourism products for 2026, study tourism themed routes, and related preferential policies will be unveiled, helping to shift the focus of Xinjiang's cultural tourism market from attracting "visitor flow" to achieving "visitor retention."

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