Two upcoming events in Tianjin -- the China Tourism Industry Exposition and the opening of the China Tourism Indus- try Park – point to a bright future for the development of the city’s tourism industry.

Thanks to the unique human and his- torical fabric of this modern city, Tianjin’s tourism industry has witnessed tremen- dous growth in the recent years.

According to the local government, dur- ing the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006- 2010), the number of international visitors and the amount of revenue generated by inbound tourism increased 21 percent year-on-year, and the number of domestic tourists increased 18 percent year-on-year.

“There were 2 million international visi- tors in Tianjin in 2011, which marked a 20.7 percent year-on-year increase and generated a total revenue of $1.75 billion,” said She Qingwen, the director of the Tianjin Municipal Tourism Bureau.???????????

Tianjin has huge potential in domestic and international tourism. It is estimated that the total revenue of Tianjin’s tourism during the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015) will reach 300 billion yuan ($58.7 bllion), with an estimated 3.7 mil- lion international arrivals.

Rich resources

Tianjin has abundant tourism resources, which have helped to promote the devel- opment of tourism. It has many exclusive tourism routes designed to bring variety. Among the 12 main attractions in Tian- jin, the Five-Avenue Area leaves perhaps the greatest impression on many tourists. The Five-Avenue Area lies in the southern part of Tianjin and is part of the former British Concession. It has become an upscale residential area, yet more than 400 Western buildings built in the 1920s and 1930s remain. In addition, a large number of Italian-style buildings have been kept in great condition in the former Italian Concession of south Tianjin. This architectural group is a rare find in Asia. Ital- ian Prime Minister Romano Prodi paid a visit in 2000, and the attraction draws more than 5,000 tourists daily on average.??????

Activities

The China Tourism Industry Expo 2012 will be held in Tianjin, and 16 port cit- ies will convene during the Bohai Rim Conference on Tourism Cooperation to promote regional cooperation in tourism development and work together to build the Bohai Sea “gold necklace” barrier-free tourism circle. The tourism expo is co-hosted by the China National Tourism Administration and the Tianjin Municipal People’s Gov- ernment, with support from the United Nations World Tourism Organization. “We are hoping to organize various activities to promote Tianjin’s tourism throughout the year after the opening of the tourism expo,” She said. The exposition will feature such cat- egories as camping and outdoor equip- ment, aviation, yachting, and water sports facilities. Construction started on the China Tourism Industry Park, the first national- level park of its kind, in April 2012. “We are hoping the opening of the Chi- na Tourism Industry Exposition will vigor- ously accelerate and continuously promote the development of the China Tourism Industry Area,” Yu said. The zone will focus on the service indus- try and tourism industry supply chains, especially the travel, leisure and vacation industry, commercial and service industry, and headquarters economy. It is estimated that the total investment in the area will approach 300 billion yuan by 2020, the annual output value will reach 50 billion yuan, and the total tourism rev- enue will be 20 billion yuan.

Rapid transformation

The transformation of and upgrades to the hotel industry will also fuel the devel- opment of tourism in Tianjin. In this pro- cess, the bar has been set higher in terms of hotel service for the Tianjin hoteliers. “Many 5-star standard hotels were opened in 2011 in addition to the existing 20 five-star hotels in Tianjin,” She said. In recent years, more than 10 glob- al hotel giants have joined the fierce competition in Tianjin’s emerging market, including Starwood, Marriott, Hyatt and Intercontinental. Concierge service is a critical ele- ment of the hotel industry. In addition to the 21 existing officially awarded concierges in Tianjin, eight more con- cierges and two associate members joined the Golden Key International Organization in 2011. Founded in Paris in 1929, Golden Key is the only widely known international ser- vice brand with advanced service concepts and standards. She Qingwen stressed the importance of improving the standards of the rapidly growing hotel industry and creating globally competitive industry through innovation.