'Beautiful China, More Than Pandas' campaign to woo global tourists

Giant panda has always been a symbol of China, especially Sichuan. As the province steps up tourism promotional efforts overseas, the rare animal is expected to win more fans worldwide.

Directed by the China National Tourism Administration, Sichuan has organized a series of tourism promotional activities under the "Beautiful China, More Than Pandas” publicity campaign.

The activities, which will be officially launched in September and last through December, are designed to boost the tourism industry in compliance with national strategies such as the Belt and Road initiative, and the Development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

At present, some 50 giant pandas live outside China in the United States, Mexico, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Britain, Singapore, Canada, Denmark and South Korea.

During the promotional activities, Sichuan will market four kinds of tourism products: cultural tours, trips to second- and third-tier cities and distinctive townships, creative tourism products and high-end tourist routes.

The campaign, with giant panda as the core image, will integrate different Chinese elements. Posters for the campaign, which all feature giant panda, will vary from country to country.

Panina, coined from Panda and China, will be the name of the giant panda used in the campaign. The word sounds like?Pan Ni Lai, which means?“looking forward to meet you in China” in Chinese,?fully embodying China’s hospitality.

The campaign will target professionals in the tourism industry, said an official from Sichuan Tourism Development Committee. Multiple technologies will be used and various interactive activities will be arranged, such as “Panda flash mob,” to impress people around the world.