On 25 September, PPRD tourism department representatives signed the "PPRD Tourism Alliance Cooperative Agreement" at the 2017 PPRD Chief Executive Joint Conference in Changsha. The agreement was reached under the ideas of shared resources, products, market, information, and common benefit.
The Pan-Pearl River Delta Region includes nine provinces (Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hainan, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan) and two special administrative regions of (Hong Kong and Macao), which is why it is called the “9+2”. The area stretches across eastern, central, and western China. It is of great strategic and economic importance, as it accounts for one-fifth of the national territory and one-third of the population and economic aggregate.
The "9+2" parties agreed to improve cooperation in the following seven areas:
1. Establish PPRD tourism brands and travel routes;
2. Have total tourism marketing;
3. Promote tourism cooperation among Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao;
4. Boost inbound tourism;
5. Build a strong tourism market order;
6. Strengthen tourism personnel training and think tank cooperation; and,
7. Improve the cooperative mechanism.
The "9+2" parties will also seek central government support; have PPRD tourism cooperation planning; build scenic travel routes connected to the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, border areas, and cruise tours; establish tourism publicity platforms and festival branding, and expand domestic and foreign tourist market.
Signing ceremony for the Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation (PPRD) tourism alliance cooperative agreement (Photo/Yang Huafeng)