Led by TUI China Chief Financial Officer, Dr. Guido Brettschneider, a TUI China representative team was proud to be received as guests of the Chinese government at Beijing’s Temple of Heaven for the celebrations of China’s first ever national tourism day on May 19th 2011.

The date was selected because of its link with Xu Xiake, the famous Ming dynasty travel diarist who is recorded as beginning the first of his many sojourns throughout China on that day.

The Chinese government wishes to mark May 19th as an annual festival of the Chinese tourism industry that has grown dramatically in recent years and continues developing at a pace. The creation of ‘China Tourism Day’ is another positive step in recognizing the importance of tourism in China in both the nation’s economic development and in acting as an ambassadorial aid with the outside world.

As the sole foreign travel company in attendance, Dr. Brettschneider and the TUI China team was given a warm welcome by Vice-Prime Minister Wang Qishan. Vice-Prime Minister Wang reiterated the value the government places on ever closer cooperation with companies such as TUI China.