CITIE 2024:exciting experiences and great deals of culture and tourism

On September 13th, the China (Guangdong) International Tourism Industry Expo (CITIE 2024) opened at Area A in the Canton Fair Complex and will run until September 15th. The event features three themed exhibition halls: the International Culture and Tourism Hall, the Culture-Tourism Integration Hall, and the Culture-Tourism Consumer Experience Hall. Participants are from nearly 50 countries and regions, as well as over 30 domestic provinces and cities.

One-stop journey to global cultural tourism destinations

CITIE 2024 has attracted significant attention from international official tourism organizations, foreign embassies and consulates in China, and various businesses.

Countries that have recently established visa-free agreements with China, such as Thailand, Singapore, and Georgia, are showcasing their local tourism offerings in the expo. First-time exhibitors include destinations like North Queensland, Australia; Champasak Province, Laos; Murmansk and Novosibirsk in Russia; Miyazaki, Kumamoto, and Kanagawa in Japan; and Cameroon.

On the domestic front, cultural and tourism institutions from regions such as Liaoning, Jilin, Guangxi, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Ganzi in Sichuan, Nyingchi in Tibet, Kashgar in Xinjiang, and the third division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps are showcasing a wide array of cultural performances and unique tourism products.

Additionally, tourism authorities from Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and all 21 prefecture-level cities in Guangdong are participating, highlighting the distinctive appeal of the cultural and tourism industries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Culture-tourism integration: a glimpse into the future

The special annual exhibition of CITIE 2024, focused on the "New Quality Productive Forces of Cultural Tourism", has attracted strong participation from companies specializing in land, sea, and air tourism.

In the water-based tourism sector, the Guangdong Yacht Industry Association has organized several members to exhibit luxury yachts, speedboats, jet skis, and electric hydrofoil surfboards for water sports.

In the land applications sector, Shenzhen OCT Vision Technology offers VR entertainment experiences, while Shandong Xingxiu Cultural Tourism showcases space capsules and container homes. Senchao Culture and Tourism presents art installations that blend cultural creativity with technology. Digital and smart tourism cases, including virtual humans, the metaverse, and AI applications, are on display from companies like Guangdong Mobile, China Telecom, and Leetn Culture Technology.

In the emerging low-altitude economy, EHang is showcasing the world's first passenger-carrying electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, which has earned three major airworthiness certifications. I-KINGTECH and Shenzhen Damoda Intelligent Control Technology are demonstrating drone formation systems and digital sky advertising, capturing industry attention.

Unlocking immersive tourism experiences

Several immersive experience projects are drawing crowds this year. In the Guangdong cultural tourism digital innovation experience zone, visitors can explore the "Smart Cultural Tourism Metaverse Experience Pavilion" onsite for an immersive journey into the metaverse.

In the expo's third consecutive year of running an online platform, the "Smart Cultural Tourism Metaverse Experience Pavilion" focuses on showcasing innovative digital tourism achievements. Using technologies like 5G, VR, naked-eye 3D, artificial intelligence, and digital twin, the pavilion offers a virtual model of the Bai'etan Greater Bay Area Art Center, providing an interactive 3D virtual tour combined with a 360-degree panoramic view.