Twenty four cultural and tourism projects worth 44.74 billion yuan were signed at the Third Sichuan International Travel Expo which concluded Wednesday in Leshan, Sichuan Province.

Among the projects, eighteen worth 30.07 billion yuan are signed by Leshan.

The expo, which kicked off on September 22, was attended by 2600 guests from 47 countries and regions, 16 Chinese provinces and municipalities, and upward of 300 enterprises such as Ctrip and Mafengwo.

Three hundred and thirty sellers and buyers of tourism products and services from 33 countries and regions were engaged in nine B2B trade fairs. Eighty pairs of buyers and sellers inked deals or intents of deals on the spot.

During the expo, a crowd innovation tourism alliance for southwest China was inaugurated. The alliance involves one hundred scenic areas with AAA or above ratings and a thousand tourism companies.

The First Asia-Pacific Travel Companies Conference was held during the expo, where tourism officials and travel companies from countries in the region exchanged ideas on the expansion of the tourist destination market and how to make travelling easier.

At the Emei Summit Forum, 200 renowned scholars, experts and representatives of travel companies shed light on the direction of the tourism industry in an era where green development matters.

New technologies such as Internet of Things, virtual tours to scenic areas and 3D were employed at foreign and domestic pavilions to fully display the charm of the countries, provinces and cities showcasing themselves at the expo.

Host city Leshan seized the opportunity to promote its tourism resources by organizing various activities.

Mainstream international media including Reutes and AFP were invited to do a group interview in the city.?More than 12000 people applied to take part in the city’s activity “A Hundred Foreigners Tour Leshan.”

The 2016 Emeishan International Mountain Climbing Festival and the Sichuan Emeishan Buddhism-themed Music Festival will take place concurrently as supporting activities.