The First Global Confucius Institutes Shandong Cultural Tourism Promotion Summit Opens in Qufu

The “Discovering the Source of Chinese Wisdom” Journey Sets Sail from the Sacred Land of the East

The First Global Confucius Institutes Shandong Cultural Tourism Promotion Summit Opens in Qufu

Amidst the colorful early autumn and gathering at the sacred land of the East, the “Discovering the Source of Chinese Wisdom” — the First Global Confucius Institutes Shandong Cultural Tourism Promotion Summit — grandly opened in Qufu, Jining on the morning of August 14. Co-hosted by Hanban (the Office of Chinese Language Council International) and the Shandong Provincial Tourism Development Commission, the event was attended by over 300 guests including Ma Jianfei, Party Committee Secretary of Hanban, Zhang Xilong, Inspector of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Yu Fenggui, Director, and Zhang Mingchi, Deputy Director of the Shandong Provincial Tourism Development Commission, Wu Jiwen, Vice Mayor of Jining Municipal Government, as well as directors of Confucius Institutes from home and abroad, Sinology experts, travel channel partners, representatives from the ten-member provinces and cities of the China Study Travel Promotion Alliance, tourism authorities from 17 cities in Shandong, key study travel enterprises and institutions, and media reporters.

Photo shows the full launch ceremony of the Global Confucius Institutes Shandong Cultural Tourism Promotion Project

At the opening ceremony, Hanban and the Shandong Provincial Tourism Development Commission reached a strategic cooperation to promote traditional Chinese culture, advance international cultural tourism exchanges in Shandong, shape the overseas image of “Hospitality Shandong,” build a new highland for opening up Shandong's cultural tourism, and develop innovative activities themed around “Discovering the Source of Chinese Wisdom.” These include a tourism promotion conference, an intangible cultural heritage and travel merchandise exhibition, the 2018 Annual Conference of the China Study Travel Promotion Alliance, a symposium with overseas tourism cooperation channel partners, and study travel route inspection tours. These initiatives establish a new platform for cultural tourism promotion through overseas Confucius Institutes, injecting new momentum into Shandong’s tourism exchange, cooperation, and socio-economic development.

Photo shows live performances at the event

Hanban is a teaching platform for Chinese language instruction and cultural dissemination, serving as a cradle and bridge for Chinese language learners worldwide. It is reported that Hanban has established 529 Confucius Institutes and over 1,100 Confucius Classrooms in more than 140 countries and regions, becoming an important window for the world to understand Chinese culture. At this summit, the headquarters of the global Confucius Institutes and the Shandong Provincial Tourism Development Commission achieved multiple collaborations. The first group of 44 overseas Confucius Institute directors were awarded the title of “Confucius Ambassadors,” and 30 Confucius Institutes globally were selected as Shandong tourism promotional hubs. By producing multilingual versions of Shandong tourism promotional materials, jointly organizing “Hospitality Shandong” tourism promotion events both domestically and internationally, and leveraging the online and offline media of Confucius Institutes to promote Shandong’s cultural tourism, these efforts aim to embed Shandong’s outstanding culture and stunning tourism resources in the hearts of overseas students and continuously bring Shandong’s top ten cultural tourism destination brands into the global spotlight.

Photo shows the award ceremony for the first group of “Confucius Tourism Ambassadors”

Photo shows the award ceremony for the second group of “Confucius Tourism Ambassadors”

Photo shows the award ceremony for the third group of “Confucius Tourism Ambassadors”

During the summit, the Shandong Provincial Tourism Development Commission invited overseas cooperation channel partners for Shandong tourism marketing to a symposium. Active dialogue and exchanges were conducted to jointly promote the high-quality development of Shandong’s inbound tourism market. In recent years, the Shandong Provincial Tourism Development Commission has continuously innovated in overseas tourism marketing, introducing a preferred method for selecting overseas tourism marketing cooperation channel partners and establishing cooperative relationships with 68 tourism channel partners in 15 countries and regions, thereby constructing a comprehensive overseas marketing cooperation system.

This summit coincides with the first anniversary of the establishment of the China Study Travel Promotion Alliance. Members from ten provinces and cities — Shandong, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Henan, Guangdong, and Shaanxi — including their tourism development commissions (bureaus), gathered in Qufu to hold the 2018 Annual Conference of the Alliance. The work of the alliance will be further integrated with the Confucius Institutes project. Through innovative marketing activities and joint overseas marketing efforts, it aims to further showcase Chinese culture and enhance the international visibility of the China Study Travel brand.