The International Delegation Group Visits SCBG on 2010 World Tourism Day

Accompanied by the deputy secretary-General of Guangdong Provincial Government LIU Xiaojie, deputy inspector of Guangdong Provincial Tourism Bureau FU Lin, and vice president of the Provincial Tourism Association MAI Yuechang, the World Tourism Organization Secretary-General, Mr and Mrs Taleb rifai, and President of the World Tourism Council, Mr Jean Claude Baumgarten, together with more than other 40 guests of regional tourism organizations and government agencies from over 10 countries, consisting of "World Tourism Day 2010" international delegation, visited South China Botanical Garden, CAS on 28 September 2010. The director of South China Botanical Garden HUANG Hongwen, deputy director REN hai gave warm welcome to the guests and guided the tour.

The theme of this year's World Tourism Day is "Tourism and Biodiversity". Guangdong Province hosted as the main venue of the world for the 2010 World Tourism Day celebrations, more than 160 countries set up sub-venues at the same time for the celebrations. As an important part of the activities, the designated international guests attended the only technical demonstration unit of the main venue celebration, SCBG, for the technical visit. Huang Hongwen was on behalf of SCBG to give a warm welcome to the guests, and he described in detail the history and current situation of the botanical garden, as well as the major acheivements of research, international cooperation, scientific education and tourism, plant resources and reserves, ex situ conservation, landscape planning and construction of other relevant circumstances. After the presentation, the delegation had a discussion and exchanged ideas with leaders and experts of SCBG on China's economic development and forest restoration, tourism and environmental protection, ecological restoration and landscape construction and many other issues.

Later, The delegation group visited SCBG, including the most distinctive cycad garden, orchid garden, medicinal garden as well as the large-sized conservatories group accompanied by Huang and Ren. Taleb rifai and his fellows gave highly appreciation for the philosophy of this unique conservatory construction, and the good combination of beautiful appearance, rich scientific content and the layout of world plants in one conservatory group. And they also got a comprehensive understanding of the way for landscape design, plant configuration, management and operation of tourisms.

After the visit, Taleb rifai, Liu Xiaojie, some guests of the World Tourism Organization and the leaders of SCBG planted a tree named Cerbera manghas together to commemorate the friendship for the "World Tourism Day 2010".