广播听力:World Expo Tourism Promotion Program Kicks Off

The organizer of 2010 Shanghai World Expo is to hold a series of tourism promotion activities in 100 cities around the world including New York, Pairs, Tokyo and Singapore.

The launching ceremony of the tourism promotion program was held in Tokyo, Japan.



Tourism officials from both China and Japan say that the upcoming World Expo in Shanghai will promote Sino-Japan relationship in various fields. Zhang Cheng has more.

As part of the 2010 Expo tourism promotion plan, a program featuring around 200 promotion activities to be held in 100 well-known cities throughout the world has begun in Tokyo.

At the launching ceremony of the program, Du Jiang, deputy head of China's National Tourism Administration says the World Expo is a good opportunity for China to showcase its rich tourism resources.

"The Shanghai World Expo is a good opportunity for both China and other Asian countries including Japan to develop tourism. We are willing to draw on the experience of the Aichi Expo, share tourism development opportunities with Japan and further promote tourism cooperation between the two sides."

In 2009, China received more than 3.3 million tourists from Japan, which makes Japan the largest tourist source country of China. Meanwhile, about 1.5 million Chinese people visited Japan last year.

Hiroshi Mizohata, head of the Japan Tourism Agency says the Shanghai World Expo is bound to strengthen Sino-Japan relations.

"I believe the success of Shanghai Expo will have a positive impact on the economic development of China and even the whole Asian region. I hope China and Japan will take the Expo as an opportunity to enhance cooperation not only in tourism but also in culture, economy, sports and technology."

The Shanghai World Expo will begin on May 1 and run until October 31, 2010. As of today, more than 190 countries and 50 international organizations have confirmed their participation in the event.

Zhang Cheng, CRI News.