Officials announce during a press conference on Oct 23 that the 2020 China-ASEAN Expo Tourism Exhibition will be held in Guilin from Dec 8 to 10. [Photo/WeChat account: guilintourismEXPO]

The 2020 China-ASEAN Expo Tourism Exhibition (CAEXPOTE) is scheduled to be held in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region from Dec 8 to 10, announced by officials from the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Oct 23.

The 15th China-ASEAN Cultural Forum will also be held on Dec 8 in Guilin, marking the first time that the city will host this event.

The exhibition, which will be jointly held by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, will cover a total exhibition area of 25,000 square meters and attract 100,000 visitors, as well as more than 300 professional purchasers. 

Delegations from 21 provinces, municipalities, and cities in China, as well as 20 overseas official tourism organizations and nearly 100 exhibitors have confirmed their attendance to the event. All 10 ASEAN countries will be showcased during the event and the Philippines will be invited as the guest of honor.

The exhibition is expected to establish a platform for the display, communication, and trade on tourism cooperation between China and ASEAN countries in areas spanning e-commerce tourism, scientific tourism, 5G network tourism, as well as smart city tourism, pushing forward the innovation and development of the digital tourism industry between China and ASEAN countries under the Belt and Road.

The exhibition will set up pavilions with different themes, such as the Belt and Road, overseas tourism, and international tourism products.

China and ASEAN countries have seen close cooperation in tourism as ASEAN countries have been popular overseas tourism destinations for Chinese residents. Thousands of flights were conducted between China and ASEAN weekly on average in 2019, with the annual number of passengers exceeding 65 million.