Foreign cities seek visitors from China

Beijing, one of the world's busiest tourism hubs, is about to get even busier in the next few days as representatives of cities from around the world converge on the capital for the inaugural session of the World Tourism Cities Federation.

Today is the first meeting of the federation, a non-governmental organization founded by Beijing. More than 20 well-known international member cities will participate in three days of intensive meetings and promotional events organized by the federation. Representatives of more than 20 Chinese cities are also taking part.

Nils Usakovs, mayor of Riga, capital of Latvia, said he is here to introduce Riga to China. The country is aiming for "a strong China presence" and plans to attract more outbound Chinese.

Usakovs said Latvia only issued around 400 visas to Chinese people in 2011. The number is far from satisfying. The level of investment from China is "basically zero", he said.

"How can China invest in Latvia if it doesn't know us well?" Usakovs said.

The city government of Riga decided to join Beijing in setting up the federation to tap into the huge, promising Chinese market.

"We'd like Chinese tourists to come. We'd also like private and State-owned enterprises to come and invest in Latvia," Usakovs told China Daily.

Indeed, the Chinese market looks enticing. It's estimated that more than 78 million Chinese tourists are traveling abroad in 2012. They are to spend $82 billion on their overseas journeys, said Yu Ningning, head of the China International Travel Service Ltd.

While international cities want Chinese to visit, Beijing is also inviting the world to have a closer look.

Lu Yong, Party chief of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development, said Beijing is pushing hard to become a first-class global tourism city so that tourism will become the "engine of Beijing's development".

In the first half of this year, around 13.5 million international tourists visited China, including more than 8 million from Asia, 1.6 million from the United States and 2.81 million from Europe. Of all international travelers, 2.9 million visited Beijing, according to the National Tourism Administration.

A report by the UN World Tourism Organization shows that international tourists injected $8.6 billion into China's economy in 2011.

Of that number, $5.4 billion was spent in Beijing, according to the tourism administration.

Building on this momentum, Beijing has put an ambitious plan into action to boost its tourism.

Lu said the authorities are now revving up efforts to advance the policy, which will enable international travelers to stay in China without a visa if their stay is within 72 hours. Also, an official list will be released containing must-see places, essential activities and recommended souvenirs, so that tourists can enjoy the best Beijing has to offer.

Apparently, city authorities from China and abroad are trying hard to bring international travelers and potential investment home.

Considering tourism accounts for $6 trillion, or 9 percent, of the global GDP, it is hardly surprising that city governments are looking to tourism as a solution to the economic doldrums they face.

The federation was founded with this purpose in mind, according to organizers.