The Sanya Celebration kicks off in birthplace of Alfred Bernhard Nobel

Stockholm was the last stop of the Sanya Celebration's roadshow targeting Northern Europe. The event was held at Culture House Sweden, one of the largest cultural centres in Northern Europe as well as a popular venue for Stockholm's political and business classes. The event included the showing of a tourism video, performances of the breath-taking ethnic dances of Sanya's Li and Miao minorities, a nose flute and leaf-whistling performance, a virtual reality (VR) setup giving attendees an opportunity to get a close up view of what the seaside resort has to offer, an exhibition on local tours, an introduction to Sanya's tourism resources and the city's strong portfolio of tourism products, as well as an interactive question and answer session, enabling attendees to gain a deeper understanding of Sanya's reputation for hospitality and the unique aspects of the seaside resort's tropical tourism resources.

China and Sweden have both witnessed a steady year-by-year increase in the number of visitor arrivals from the other, with the number of visitors in both directions totalling approximately 200,000 in 2016. Sanya is China's only tropical travel destination with tourism facilities that meet international standards coupled with a unique ecological environment, while Stockholm is Sweden's financial hub and the birthplace of Alfred Bernhard Nobel, the founder of the Nobel Prize award. Both are popular travel destinations for very different reasons, yet, the two cities complement each other in tourism resources. Mutual visits and exchanges are instrumental in enhancing the friendship and in yielding win-win results for both sides.

Ms. Fu gave attendees a presentation on how Sanya developed into a tropical coastal resort with unique characteristics, and, with its internationally-renowned services. She also encouraged Swedish attendees to choose Sanya for their next vacation or to explore business investment opportunities.

A promotional meeting was held during the Celebration, with Pu Zhengdong, Consul of Culture at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Sweden, Kristina Eriksson, a member of the Eskilstuna City Council, Lydia Liu, a member of the Nacka City Council, Niko Kosmidis, Member Board of Directors of Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Sweden, Wang Yong'an, vice president of the Chinese Confederation of Industry and Commerce in Sweden (CCICIS), as well as executives from over one hundred travel agencies and tourism service providers across Sweden and other Scandinavian countries taking part in. The meeting highlighted Sanya's strong line-up of tourism offerings, including facilities specializing in MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) events, activities that can be enjoyed by the whole family, traditional Chinese physiotherapy, village tours, as well as accommodations designed for destination weddings and honeymoons. Sanya has also taken advantage of its long list of resources to, over the years, continuously roll out a variety of travel packages and services for travellers, leading to rapid growth in the local tourism market. Currently, Sanya has scheduled flight services to and from 20 international destinations. Travellers from 26 countries, including Sweden, now enjoy visa-free access to Sanya, further facilitating the visit to Sanya for Swedish travellers. A wide range of tourism resources, the convenience of visa-free access and the personalized tourism products visibly stimulated the interest of the Scandinavian travel firms that attended the event. In some one-on-one exchanges that took place, several of the firms expressed their willingness to take the discussion to the next step.

Mr. Kosmidis said at the promotional meeting that the period from November to March next year is ice cold in Sweden and most locals choose tropical islands for vacation destinations. With sunny climate complemented by tropical blue waves lapping sandy white beaches and unique folk cultures, Sanya is an ideal destination for Swedish visitors. As the Swedish attendees gained a better understanding of the exotic thrills that were on offer, many expressed a ready willingness to include Sanya in their upcoming travel or vacation plans.

Mr. Wang, who has been resident in Sweden for years, said: "Decades of living and working experience in Sanya makes me emotionally attached to Sanya, a city with a variety of tourism resources. The city has sped up its development pace and efforts in meeting international standards. For locals in Sweden and other Northern European countries, Sanya is not only an ideal vacation destination, but also a potential market with great business investment opportunities. "

The Sanya Celebration has already made stops in Bangkok, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jakarta, Indonesia, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Moscow, Russia, London, England, Frankfurt, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark and has now moved onto Stockholm, Sweden. Through this series of promotional events, Sanya has enhanced mutual exchanges with the cities visited in terms of tourism and cultural resources, increased the awareness and heightened the reputation of Sanya in international tourism markets, and attracted more visitors to the Chinese city. In addition to the various steps taken by the city to bring its tourism resources up to international standards across the board, Sanya has also successfully executed on its series of external promotion campaigns, heightening awareness of the city as a viable tourism destination. The coordinated efforts put the city on track to become a new and preferred destination for world travellers.

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