“Seeing is believing. Yichang is more attractive than what we had imagined”. Derrick Martin, an official from New Orleans Economic Development Bureau, who came to attend the conference for promoting American business and tourism, talked about his first impression on Yichang. At the conference held in the city proper on March 29, the relevant deputies from the Yichang Tourism Commission and some travel agencies have held a talk with over ten delegates consisting of politicians, businessmen, and travel agents from Louisiana of the U.S., aiming to establish substantial cooperation with each other. It was the first time that Yichang had independently promoted herself to the US tourist market.

　　In recent years, more and more inbound tourists have been visiting Yichang City, 80% of whom are from Europe and America. To further expand the international market, the Yichang Tourism Association, the American Commission for Promoting and Developing Trade in the South of America, the Yichang Yangtze Tour International Travel Agency, and the America Asian Travel Service, jointly organized this activity and launched the “Ceremony for Advertising Yichang’s Tourism Culture in America”.

　　“The reason why we select Yichang is that Yichang is one of the habitats of minority nationalities, and abound in rich and unique cultural and tourism resources.” Michael Cheng, who is the Chinese deputy of the American Commission for Developing and Promoting Business Trade in the South of America, made the above remark. Previously, they had been to Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other famous coastal tourist cities. Yichang is one of the few prefecture-level cites they selected. He points out that they will cooperate with the Yichang Tourism Commission and organize outstanding guides from Yichang to advertise Yichang’s tourist resources in the busy streets and famous tourist spots of America.(Reporter Wang Ying, Xiong Donghua)