On June 1st, 2024, the opening ceremony for the Hunan International Cultural and Tourism Festival (HICTF) & the Ctrip Global Partner Hunan (Zhangjiajie) Inbound Tourism Conference was held in Zhangjiajie. Xie Jianhui, Member of the Standing Committee of Peoples Congress of Hunan Province, announced the opening of the event. Leaders in attendance included the United Nations World Tourism Organization Ambassador Zhu Shanzhong, Li Aiwu, Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department of the Hunan CPC Provincial Committee, Party Secretary and Director-General of the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and Wang Xianwu, Member of the CPC Hunan Tourism Group (HNTG) Committee and Deputy General Manager.

During the Hunan Tourism Accommodation Promotion event, representatives from nearly 20 Ctrip Travel and Cultural Industry Alliance companies took turns to share their experiences and case studies. Huatian Group, representing the HNTG, presented the tourism project, focusing on reshaping the national hotel brand and cultivating an intelligent cultural tourism industry to global audiences. HNTG has consistently emphasized hotel catering, cultural tourism, convention and exhibition economy, life services, investment and financing, and the positioning of the provincial government's Hong Kong liaison office, thereby creating a comprehensive tourism industry chain ecosystem that integrates dining, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment. HNTG has taken on the role of the leading company in Hunan's cultural tourism industry and the flagship of the "Splendid Xiaoxiang" brand for full-region tourism, and adheres to the operation of the "Huatian" and "Sunshine" dual hotel brands. As a result, they have established the first five-star hotel in Hunan, the fourth listed hotel tourism enterprise in the country, and the first five-star hotel in Shenzhen, managing and operating approximately 90 hotels. Their efforts have contributed to building a world tourism destination and a modernized New Hunan. Huatian Group, an affiliate of HNTG, is firmly committed to advancing on the new journey of brand internationalization. The HNTG's mid-to-high-end dining brand, "Splendid Xiaoxiang," embodies the essence and charm of Chinese cuisine and is set to shine in the vibrant Myeongdong district of Seoul, South Korea, this year, marking the opening of the HNTG's first overseas restaurant. This important move not only signifies a solid step forward in the HNTG's globalization strategy, particularly for the Huatian Group, but also underscores their dedication to conveying the unique flavors and profound culture of Chinese food to Korean and global diners. It aims to promote the popularity and development of Chinese cuisine in Korea, enabling more people to appreciate the infinite charm of Chinese cuisine.

The participating travel and cultural enterprises at the event expressed strong interest in the projects presented, showing their faith in the prospects of the HNTG's future development. They committed to actively following the development dynamics of the HNTG, especially those of the Huatian Group, post-conference, in pursuit of cooperation opportunities to collectively promote the high-quality development of Hunan's cultural tourism industry.

Since 2002, the HICTF has been successfully held for 19 sessions, and it has grown to be one of the well-known cultural tourism events both domestically and abroad. Over the years, the festival has not only promoted and introduced Hunan's cultural and tourism resources but has also enhanced the visibility and reputation of Hunan's cultural tourism, establishing the brand image of "Three Xiang and Four Waters, Meet in Hunan." The event, co-hosted by the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Zhangjiajie People's Government, and Ctrip Group, under the theme "Hello Hunan, Meet in Zhangjiajie," will continue until June 4th. It serves as a grand focal point for the domestic and international cultural tourism and accommodation industry and provides a comprehensive outlook for the future development path of inbound tourism. It will help the global tourism community better understand the cultural and tourism resources of Hunan and Zhangjiajie, yielding more cooperation outcomes and driving new opportunities for sharing the global tourism market, thereby ushering in a new era for the development of cultural tourism in Hunan.

Huatian Group's participation in the HICTF, through resource integration and investment promotion with global partners and industry alliances, not only showcases the responsibility and cultural charm of state-owned enterprises but also makes a contribution to promoting the development of the cultural tourism industry in Hunan. The Huatian Group will continue to support the HNTG in deepening its presence in the cultural and tourism consumption sector in Hunan, strengthening cooperation and exchanges with international tourism companies, and actively promoting the involvement of Hunan's cultural tourism industry on the world stage.

Attendees included representatives of the HNTG and its affiliated companies, Huatian Group, Sunshine Group, and Intelligent Travel Technology Company.

(General Office & Hotel Management Company)