The 14th China-US Tourism Leadership Summit opened in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on May 22, with Beijing International Studies University (BISU) as one of the co-organizers.
Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin, and Grant Harris, US assistant secretary of commerce for industry and analysis, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. Nearly 400 Chinese and US representatives from governments, institutions and enterprises attended the event.
Gu Huimin, a professor at BISU's School of Tourism Sciences, chaired the sub-forum themed "Facilitating Inbound Travel and Diversifying Experiences".
Jeff Freeman, president and CEO of the US Travel Association, emphasized the institution's efforts to streamline procedures and increase flight frequencies. Wan Qingchao, executive vice-president of China Eastern Airlines, discussed the increase in flights between China and the US and noted significant potential for further growth.
Julie Stufft, deputy assistant secretary for visa services of the US Department of State, announced the willingness of the US to provide convenient 10-year visas for Chinese tourists and to simplify visa procedures. Dai Haiyong, who is in charge of Chinese internet giant Tencent's foreign exchange business arm, spoke of the company's initiatives to support payment facilitation for inbound tourists.
The summit was also jointly organized by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the People's Government of Shaanxi Province, the US Department of Commerce, Brand USA, and the World Tourism Alliance.
It aimed to further restore and develop China-US tourism cooperation, creating better conditions for mutual visits between the two countries' tourists, and is an important measure to implement the consensus of the San Francisco China-US Summit.
