Cultural Tourism & Amusement Industry Exchange of GTI Asia China Expo 2021 - Light Up the Industry, Restart the Future

Asu Su／Serena Zheng

Affected by the global pandemic situation, the domestic cultural tourism industry has made scenic spots, theme parks and other tourist destinations more interesting, technological, knowledgeable and experiential through amusement products and sci-tech products, attracting a good many domestic tourists. How to upgrade and develop the entertainment industry, to integrate e-sports and the game and amusement industry; in view of the current status of scenic spots and theme parks, how to empower the exhibition areas and create intelligent attractions? Combined with the industry advantages, GTI Organizing Committee invited guests from industry associations, major enterprises in the industry and representatives of cultural tourism enterprises to attend the exchange.

Hosted by GTI Organizing Committee and guided by China Culture & Entertainment Industry Association and Guangzhou Association of Tourist Attractions (GATA), the top Cultural Tourism & Amusement Industry Exchange took place at the No. 6 Conference Room, Area A, China Import and Expo Fair on 3 November, 2021. A number of cultural tourism industry stakeholders and games & amusement manufacturers attended the exchange, namely Kong Ming, the secretary general of China Culture & Entertainment Industry Associations (CCEA); Ding Xihe, director of Membership Department Guangdong Tourism Attractions Association; Zou Yirong, the secretary general of Guangzhou Association of Tourist Attractions (GATA); Wang Chuanxiang, section chief of Guangzhou Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area Administration; Chen Jing, director of Business Department of Guangzhou Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area Administration; Zhu Min the representative of Business Department of Guangzhou Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area Administration; Jin Chao, Party branch secretary of Mingchun Management Center of Guangzhou Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area Administration; Guo Zeping, deputy director of Guangzhou Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area Administration. Jiang Dequan and Deng Zhengxin, the representative of Amusement park Business Department of Guangzhou Zoo; Ye Qianchun, the Marketing Manager of Guangzhou Zoo; Ma Rui, deputy general manager, Li Meng, marketing manager, and Luo Yuyan, deputy manager of Guangzhou South Lake Amusement Park; Zhang Fajun, the Second Branch Secretary and the president of Labor Union of Guangzhou Lotus Hill Tourist Attraction; Lei Yuhe the planning supervisor of Lingnan Impression Park; Peng Hua, the general manager of Guangzhou Yusheng Racecourse; Zhu Yunjie, the sales director of Domestic Business Department of Guangzhou Wahlap Technology Co., Ltd.; Zhu He, the deputy general manager of Guangdong UNIS Technology Co., Ltd.; He Jin, the vice president of Guangzhou Zhuoyuan Virtual Reality Tech Co., Ltd.; Wu Xinxiang, the general manager of Guangzhou Daxin Water Park Equipment Co., Ltd.; Wang Liquan, the design director of Guangzhou Daqian Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd.; Lin Qiang, the director of Family of Childhood (Guangdong) Industrial Co., Ltd.; and Zhong Jiqiang, the general manager of Guangzhou Mecpower Amusement Rides Co., Ltd. The exchange also attracted a good many guests from business sector such as Benjamin King, the representative of British Chamber of Commerce Guangdong, and Ibrahim, the representative of Negm Arab Businessmen Forum (China).

Kong Ming, the secretary general of China Culture & Entertainment Industry Associations (CCEA)

In view of the current situation and future trend of the industry, we should put forward suggestions and guidance from policy, operation, talents, technology application and other aspects, encourage enterprises to change new business models and management strategies in the new market environment, innovating business forms and stimulating their vitality. It reminds enterprises to pay attention to the reserve of high-quality talents; strengthen the core competitiveness of enterprises; improve the comprehensive strength of operation and management, intellectual property protection, technology application and other aspects, and keep an eye on the new consumption scenarios and new opportunities brought by the concept of meta-universe.

Zou Yirong, the secretary general of Guangzhou Association of Tourist Attractions (GATA)

The two years of the epidemic have been a cold winter for the cultural and tourism industry, but tourism and leisure have gradually become a rigid demand for mass cultural consumption, and huge market demand will be strongly released when the pandemic is controlled. Attractions and game & amusement companies can look for opportunities for cross-sector cooperation in cultural tourism scene design, digital sports, sports competitions, scientific and technological experience, and studies & popularization of science. Innovative products can enhance the amusement and entertainment experience, increase the stay time of tourists, and improve the performance of cultural tourism scenic spots, improve revenue of cultural tourism scenic spots, and achieve new breakthroughs in cultural tourism integration.

Secretary general Zou Yirong put forward three hopes: 1. The game & amusement industry can interact and achieve a win-win situation with the cultural tourism industry; 2. The game and amusement industry should research and develop personalized and customized innovative products combined with the landscape, history and culture of cultural tourism scenic spots, and make more scientific and technological innovations and business innovations for the tourists’ entertainment experience; 3. With the help of the GTI platform, we can recommend excellent game and amusement companies to enter the resource database of Guangzhou cultural tourism scenic spots, so that cultural tourism scenic spots can quickly purchase equipment effectively from reliable companies. Manufacturers can also obtain the procurement plans of cultural tourism scenic spots in the first time, so as to achieve precise matching and a win-win situation. At present, Guangzhou's cultural tourism scenic spots lack parent-child experience-based tourist attractions, and parent-child entertainment is the best combination of the two industries.

Ma Rui, deputy general manager of Guangzhou South Lake Amusement Park

Built in 1984, Guangzhou South Lake Amusement Park is one of the earliest large-scale theme parks in Guangzhou, stretching an area of 260,000 sq.m. It has been awarded "National Advanced Amusement Park" and "Top Ten Tourist Attractions in Guangzhou". Founded 37 years ago, Guangzhou South Lake Amusement Park is embarking on a new upgrading project, positioning itself in the direction of immersive fantasy park in the future. We hope to get creative products and suggestions from excellent game & amusement enterprises, and jointly develop excellent attractions and offer entertainment experience.

Zhang Fajun, the Second Branch Secretary and the president of Labor Union of Guangzhou Lotus Hill Tourist Attraction

Spanning 2.33 sq.m, Guangzhou Lotus Hill Tourist Attraction located on the Lion River in Panyu District, which is composed of 48 low red sandstone mountains. Lotus Hill is currently a national 4A tourist attraction. It is actively upgrading to a 5A scenic spot and hopes that on the premise of protecting the ecological environment and cultural landscape of the scenic spot, it can cooperate with outstanding game & amusement manufacturers to create the tourist highlights and enrich the amusement of the scenic spot. Therefore, it will bring tourists unique and novel entertainment experiences.

Zhu Min the representative of Guangzhou Baiyun Mountain Scenic Area

Baiyun Mountain is a well-known national 5A tourist attraction with an area of 20.98 sq.km. It has a rich cultural heritage and natural resources. On the basis of protecting nature, integrating nature, and utilizing nature, the scenic area is expected to introduce VR/AR and other virtual and real interactive technologies. Its science-related projects, such as the Daxin’s forest skin raft slide and other innovative amusement projects that are both internationally level and adaptable to regional climate characteristics, provide strong support for a rich tourist entertainment experience.

Peng Hua, the general manager of Guangzhou Yusheng Racecourse

Guangzhou Huadu Yusheng Racecourse is located in Jinshan Village, Chini Town, Huadu District, stretching 172 acres. The scenic area takes "horse culture" as the theme, which is a tourist resort integrating equestrian science popularization education, sightseeing agriculture, leisure tourism, ecological environmental protection and other multi-functions. Scenic spots and game & amusement enterprises should try diversified forms of cooperation and customize exclusive products according to the cultural characteristics of scenic spots, so as to fully mobilize the industrial resources, channel resources and other superior resources of both sides for industry incubation.

Zhu Yunjie, the sales director of Domestic Business Department of Guangzhou Wahlap Technology Co., Ltd.

Zhu He, the deputy general manager of Guangdong UNIS Technology Co., Ltd.

Wu Xinxiang, the general manager of Guangzhou Daxin Water Park Equipment Co., Ltd.

He Jin, the vice president of Guangzhou Zhuoyuan Virtual Reality Tech Co., Ltd.

Wang Liquan, the design director of Guangzhou Daqian Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd.

Zhong Jiqiang, the general manager of Guangzhou Mecpower Amusement Rides Co., Ltd.

Afterwards, the representatives of the game & amusement enterprises showed and communicated with the representatives of the cultural tourism attractions their own characteristics, superior resources and successful cases of related cultural tourism projects, and received warm responses from the representatives of the cultural tourism attractions. The representatives of the game & amusement enterprises were Zhu Yunjie, the sales director of Domestic Business Department of Guangzhou Wahlap Technology Co., Ltd., Zhu He, the deputy general manager of Guangdong UNIS Technology Co., Ltd., He Jin, the vice president of Guangzhou Zhuoyuan Virtual Reality Tech Co., Ltd., Wu Xinxiang, the general manager of Guangzhou Daxin Water Park Equipment Co., Ltd., Wang Liquan, the design director of Guangzhou Daqian Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd., and Zhong Jiqiang, the general manager of Guangzhou Mecpower Amusement Rides Co., Ltd.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, all industries in China have been greatly affected, especially the cultural tourism industry. At the same time, China's cultural tourism industry has given birth to new opportunities in the crisis, and has quietly changed dramatically during the "pandemic war." The digitalization of the cultural tourism industry has accelerated significantly, and the new-type cultural tourism industry has sprung up against the trend. Compared with the international consumer market, China's domestic cultural tourism market is the first to recover, leading the large-scale return of consumption and forming a new cultural tourism pattern based on internal economic circulation.

Combining the advantages of the game & amusement industry, GTI Organizing Committee invited guests from industry associations, leading game & amusement enterprises and representatives of cultural tourism scenic spots to have in-depth exchanges and sharing. The committee hoped to unleash the new vitality of the industry through amusement and cross-cultural tourism, and promoted theme park facilities and game & amusement equipment , Water park equipment, children’s amusement equipment, VR/AR/MR. Light up the industry and restart the future. The exchange was a new attempt of GTI Asia China Expo to improve its services and upgrade the industry. It is time for cross-sector cooperation of culture, tourism and music.

※The article is published in the issue of Jan. & Feb. 2022 in GTI