Travel & Culture Integration for a Better Life: 2019 Nanjing International Leisure & RV Show Concludes Successfully
The 8th Nanjing International Leisure & RV Show (CMT China 2019) successfully closed on June 2, 2019, at the Nanjing International Expo Center. As the first Nanjing international travel exhibition following the integration of culture and tourism, the show was themed “Culture & Tourism Integration, Better Life,” bringing together 406 exhibitors from 31 countries and regions including Iran, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Argentina, Tunisia, Jeju Island, the European Tourism Alliance, and Chinese Taipei. Domestic participants included Hainan, Jinan, Guangzhou, Changchun, Ningbo, and other cities within Jiangsu Province, showcasing their latest leisure and vacation products across 30,000 square meters of indoor exhibition space.
After seven successful editions, the show has earned a strong reputation in the industry for its professionalism, internationalization, and scale. On September 11, 2018, the Nanjing International Leisure & RV Show officially received UFI (Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) certification, becoming a UFI-approved event. The organizer, Nanjing Stuttgart Joint Exhibition Co., Ltd., was also voted in by the UFI review committee to become a UFI member.
Centered around the theme of leisure and vacation, the 2019 show featured four major exhibition zones: the Leisure Travel Zone, Travel Agency Hot Deals Zone, Study & Parent-Child Learning Zone, and RV & Camping Equipment Zone, along with the Nanjing MICE Tourism Conference. It presented new leisure and vacation options for industry professionals and end consumers. The show attracted 46,204 visitors, with on-site transactions exceeding 65.44 million yuan.
As the host city, Nanjing showcased its premium cultural and tourism offerings at the event. The Nanjing exhibition area highlighted the city’s cultural heritage and tourism image through its ten iconic symbols.
The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum presented study tour activities from the UNESCO World Heritage Site and its museum, along with a variety of cultural and creative products. The Ming Xiaoling Museum developed study tour routes from a macro perspective of the scenic area, truly integrating culture and tourism. The museum also introduced the traditional folk art of rubbing, demonstrating it to visitors on-site.
The Nanjing Rural Homestay Theme Exhibition was highly popular among citizens. Beautiful cultural and creative products, distinctive travel routes, and discounted homestay packages allowed visitors to immerse themselves in Nanjing’s beautiful countryside, showcasing the diverse vacation experiences offered by rural homestays, including food, fun, and activities. The Nanjing Rural Homestay Development Forum was held on the second day of the show, inviting industry leaders, experts, and homestay owners to discuss further possibilities for the development of the homestay industry.
(Photo by Liu Jinxiang)
Making its first appearance in Nanjing, Iran treated attendees to rich ethnic performances, cuisine, and traditional handicrafts, presenting a vibrant Persian cultural experience. On the second day of the show, Iran Tourism Day featured the Iranian Consul General, who introduced convenient visa measures for Chinese tourists and welcomed them to explore Iran’s rich history, culture, and beautiful landscapes.
The Taiwan Strait Tourism Association promoted Taiwan’s “2019 Towns Slow Travel Year” by inviting Taiwanese tourism operators to exhibit. The Taiwan-themed pavilion, designed with the landscape of Jiufen Mountain Town in Ruifang, conveyed the relaxed and refined travel image of Taiwan’s towns to travelers in East China, aiming to capture the upcoming summer holiday market.
The Hainan booth, themed “Sunny Hainan · Vacation Paradise,” integrated elements such as Hainan’s unique marine features, Li and Miao cultures, and local customs to present the province’s all-for-one tourism image. Through promotions of Hainan’s tropical attractions—such as sunny beaches, local culture, and rainforest ecology—the booth helped more people get to know, understand, and love Hainan, encouraging them to visit, work, and live there.
The Changzhou pavilion stood out with its youthful and energetic orange design. Local intangible cultural heritage artists demonstrated the essence and techniques of the city’s signature cross-stitch embroidery, captivating attendees who were eager to try it themselves.
Thirteen well-known Nanjing travel agencies, including Nanjing Tuniu International Travel Agency Co., Ltd., China Travel Service (Jiangsu) International Travel Agency Co., Ltd., CYTS International Travel Agency (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd., and Nanjing Follow Bigfoot International Travel Agency, jointly created the Travel Agency Hot Deals Zone. They offered a huge selection of discounted travel products for three days only, with thousands of tour routes available at exclusive show discounts!
The RV & Camping Equipment Zone attracts large crowds every year. The 2019 show gathered 57 companies exhibiting RVs, accessories, and outdoor camping gear. The RV displays ranged from entry-level mass-market models to business-oriented premium vehicles and high-end luxury international models. Over 50 RV owners from across the country showcased RV life during the three-day event, sharing joyful moments and offering the public a real and fascinating look at RV camping life.
(Photo by Ding ? from Nanjing Daily New Media Center)
Paintball, non-motorized go-karts, and sports camping recreation areas made their Nanjing debut. Visitors experienced various activities being promoted in campgrounds on a large scale, such as combat archery and mini-golf.
The “2019 Diversification of Campground Projects and RV Tourism Leasing Seminar” supported the diversified development of China’s RV camping industry in the leasing sector. The “Collaborative Win-Win: The Survival Path of China’s RV Camping Industry Seminar” explored sustainable development strategies for the camping industry.
Coinciding with Children’s Day, the show featured its first-ever Study & Parent-Child Learning Zone, offering engaging activities such as the Ant Power – Say No to Secondhand Smoke Volunteer Action, animal science classes, DIY for Children’s Day, and a public welfare sharing session on building children’s self-protection.
With a wide array of travel and RV products on display, visitors spending over 300 yuan on-site could participate in a lucky draw with their receipts. Every purchase guaranteed a prize, with exciting giveaways including gold bars and Club Med vacation packages!
Since 2017, the show introduced a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism zone for the first time. In 2019, the Nanjing MICE Tourism Conference was held independently outside the main exhibition for the first time. Co-organized by the Jianye District Culture and Tourism Bureau of Nanjing, the Nanjing Jianye MICE Tourism Alliance, and Nanjing Stuttgart Joint Exhibition Co., Ltd., the conference continued its buyer-seller matchmaking sessions and, in collaboration with SITE China (Society for Incentive Travel Excellence), organized a forum and interactive discussions centered on the theme of “Culture & Tourism Integration.”
The first edition of the 2019 conference saw 39 exhibitors from both international and domestic markets participating in matchmaking, with 81 invited buyers (including 8 international buyers) completing 608 matchmaking sessions with MICE exhibitors. One project was signed on-site.
Under the new landscape of culture and tourism integration, CMT China 2019 fully displayed the latest achievements in cultural and tourism development from participating countries and regions. It built a platform for professionals in the culture and tourism industries, facilitated deep exchanges and cooperation among cities, and advanced culture-tourism integration in a comprehensive and multi-faceted way, bringing the public new experiences and choices for a better life.