Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) tourism meeting was held at Nanyuan Hotel. More than 500 guests from more than ten CEE countries, including Latvia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Serbia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Bosnia and Herzegovina, attended the conference. The conference was held in the port city of Ningbo which aims for global development as the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road.

International delegates at the conference represented national tourism associations, city mayors’ offices, cross-continental financial institutions, as well as embassies and consulates. As Chinese and CEEC tourism opportunities expand, tourism consumption continues to provide a greater need for multi-laterally organized tourism development. For example, in 2017, Ningbo City organized a total of 274,000 tourists to travel to European countries.

Chen Zhongchao, deputy mayor of Ningbo City, pointed out in his speech that Ningbo is committed to fully participating in the long term development of “One Belt and One Road” via a comprehensive promotion of tourism and exchange with CEE countries.

The Zhejiang Provincial Government has supported Ningbo with its new policies and measures to coordinate issues such as speedy visas for tourism with CEE countries, encourage airlines to open up direct flights via Ningbo to Prague and Budapest, and promote Chinese tourism to participating CEE countries.

The event held a signing ceremony for tourism investment and market cooperation of tourism development project. At the conference delegates signed a number of major tourism cooperation agreements.

Signing of Major Multi-lateral Tourism Promotion Projects

During the keynote speech, Director of Investment and Development of the Republic of Latvia in Beijing, IngusRozenblats, introduced Latvian culture along with its tourist infrastructure and attractions.

Fang Yu, a renowned television host, discussed the “Belt and Road” initiative and how Ningbo aims to promote multilateral tourism cooperation.

In addition, representatives of Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe spoke on the region’s tourism industry and the potential of Central and Eastern Europe for Chinese tourists.

The CEEC Tourism Cooperation Exchange Conference concluded with high expectations for future tourism developments in Ningbo, China and CEE countries. As the One Belt One Road initiative brings participating countries’ relations closer, so too does the initiative realize a more shared and prosperous future.