Anhui delegation back from Moscow International Travel & Tourism Exhibition

All members of the delegation took photo in front of the Anhui stand at the exhibition.

Anhui delegates communicate with Muhammad, chairman of the Innovation, Development and Exhibitive Activities Committee of Moscow Municipal Government.

Russian tourism dealers are inquiring information at the Anhui exhibition stand.

The delegation of Anhui province came back from a rewarding trip to the Moscow International Travel and Tourism Exhibition 2010.

The 16th Moscow International Travel and Tourism Exhibition was held from September 21 to 24, attracting more than 1,000 tourism companies from at least 100 countries and regions, including 19 Chinese provincial delegations sent by the China National Tourism Administration s office in Moscow.

Members of the Anhui delegation included officials, executors, and Chinese martial artists from the Tianzhu Mountain scenic region so as to open more Russian markets for Anhui s tourism resources and promote the Chinese Qigong in Russia.

The Chinese martial masters put on a special performance at the Russian Taichi Competition on the morning of September 20, which arouse great interest among the Russians. Russian national television and Moscow television covered the event.

Muhammad, chairman of the Innovation, Development and Exhibitive Activities Committee of the Moscow Municipal Government, held a banquet for the Anhui delegation on the same evening at a Beijing roast duck restaurant in Moscow.

During the friendly chat over dinner, the delegation official said that Russia and China have a long history of friendly diplomatic relationships. With deepening economic, cultural and tourism exchanges, both countries have become the other s major tourism destination. Anhui province received more than 16,900 Russian tourists in 2009, an increase of 49.

53 percent from the same period of 2008. Meanwhile, the number of Russian tourist to Anhui has already reached 10,000 in the first half of this year, so it s no doubt that there will be another breakthrough with the Russian tourists heading for Anhui.

Chairman Muhammad also expressed his high praise to Anhui s tourism resources. "Personally, I have been to Tianzhu Mountain twice. In no time I shall accompany president Medvedev to attend the Russian National Pavilion Day of the 2010 Shanghai Expo, and then we will visit Tianzhu Mountain. It s my heartfelt wish that Anhui province s tourism will have a better future.

The Anhui delegation provided many Anhui tourism maps, promotional CDs and pamphlets at the exhibition, attracting a great number of Russians and Russian tourism dealers to the exhibition stand.

Liu Jianming, director of China National Tourism Administration (Moscow Office), said that the trip was very rewarding and gave greater incentive to the province s tourism development in Russia.