TIANJIN, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The 13th China Tourism Industry Exposition kicked off in north China's Tianjin Municipality on Friday, highlighting international cooperation and industrial innovation in the culture and tourism sector.

 

The three-day expo, co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the municipal government of Tianjin, has seven exhibition areas, covering a total space of 120,000 square meters.

 

The event, featuring a wide range of activities, including exhibitions, specialized forums and business negotiations, has attracted more than 2,000 cultural and tourism enterprises.

 

Zhang Xu, Chair of the World Tourism Alliance, said tourism plays an irreplaceable role in meeting people's needs for a better life and improving the quality of national economic development.

 

The expo also aims to present comprehensive achievements and cutting-edge technologies in the development of smart tourism by displaying the latest applications of digital services and intelligent tourism equipment.

 

Held in Tianjin since 2009, the expo has emerged as a platform for exhibitions, business negotiations and trade in the tourism industry, promoting exchanges and cooperation between the domestic and foreign tourism industry.