Maritime Silk Road cities mingle with Miami locals

Miami played host over the weekend to a campaign to promote tourism to Chinese provinces and cities along the Maritime Silk Road.

As part of a Chinese strategic initiative to increase investment and foster collaboration across the historic Silk Road, a delegation of more than 70 Chinese tourism industry professionals from 14 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities as well as the China Youth Travel Service, visited the Dolphin Mall in Miami, whose port is known as the Cruise Capital of the World.

The promotion, themed Beautiful China - Journey along the Maritime Silk Road, highlighted provinces and cities including Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Henan, Hubei, Ningxia, Guangxi and Guangdong.

It showcased not only the tourism resources, but also a sophisticated tourist reception system as well as hospitable local people.

During the three-hour event, the delegates introduced tourism destinations by chatting with and handing out brochures and gifts to shoppers passing by the booths at the mall's main entrance.

Local Chinese communities and students from the Confucius Institute of Miami Dade College also performed in the promotion. Performances that caused crowds of shoppers to stop and watch included a chorus performance of I LoveYou, China, a cheongsam fashion show, a tai chi sword display and the group dance Dun Huang.

Some participants in a contest on Chinese tourism destinations were awarded prizes.

"Miami is a vibrant and dynamic city. ... Seeing is believing," said Li Yaying, director general of the international cooperation department of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).

"Florida enjoys peculiar advantages in tourism, and Miami is a world tourist destination," said Li Qiangmin, Chinese consul general in Houston. "I would like to see more and more people coming from China to visit this great place and to get to know more about the beauty of the place and people here." The Chinese Consulate General in Houston covers the consular jurisdiction of Florida.

"Also, I'm very glad to invite Miami and Florida friends to visit China, which wins so much praise that (it's) as beautiful as Miami," Li added.

Li said with 2016 designated as the Year of China-US Tourism, the gala is one of the bilateral tourism exchanges between China and the US.

"People to people exchange is the foundation of our bilateral relationship. This gala marks an important moment, when the cooperation between China and the US (is) facing a great opportunity," Li said.

"Just two weeks ago, President Xi Jinping and President Obama met again during the G20 Summit held in Hangzhou.

They agreed that China and the United States have far more common interests than differences, and the two countries work together to do a lot of things that will benefit both countries and all of the world," Li said.

"We are confident that by joint effort, China and the United States will be able to break down barriers and build a relationship that serve the fundamental interests of our two people and people of the world," he added.

"I've been to China many times. I positively suggest everybody I know to go to visit China because it's so beautiful and diversified," said Ashok Nayak, a local resident who is studying Mandarin at the Confucius Institute of Miami Dade College.

"I would love to go China next year, especially Shenzhen," said Manpreet-Sing H, a mobile-device businessman who is traveling to Miami. He said Shenzhen is a big attraction because it aggregates China's top companies and factories in the high-tech industry. He wants to visit the city not only as a tourist but for business.

"I know Americans love Chinese, and Chinese love Miami, as we are the Cruise Capital of the World," said William D. Talber, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.

"Our dream is to have direct flight from China to Miami and Miami to China," he added.

In a community of 2.6 million residents from more than 120 countries speaking over 80 languages, Miami-Dade County is a global marketplace that major international companies and banks call home.

Millions of passengers travel through PortMiami every year, and with 18 cruise brands berthing 42 ships, PortMiami continues to be the departure destination of choice for cruises to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Mexico and other destinations.

xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 09/26/2016 page1)