The Third China (Sichuan) International Tourism Investment Conference will open in Chengdu on July 26, said Fu Yonglin, Director of Sichuan Provincial Tourism Development Committee while taking an interview with Xinhua.

The event is part of Sichuan’s efforts to translate its abundant tourism resources into productivity through launching projects and attracting investment.

Fu regards the conference as a platform of dialogue between Sichuan and the rest of the world on tourism, as the province is now?standing at a new historical starting point marked by in-depth interaction with and opening wider to the outside world.

The conference is expected to help Sichuan attract more investment from both home and abroad, introduce new technologies and concepts to constantly improve its system of tourism products and finally boost its global popularity and reputation as a tourist destination.

The past two editions have seen 57 projects with a contract value of 125.89 billion yuan signed. 40 of the projects have broke ground. Among the investors are Overseas Chinese Town and China Youth Travel Service, according to Fu.

Some projects, although small, is of great importance, said the official, citing the Dujiangyan Antiman Lotus Lake International Resort.

The resort has started trial operation and is expected to transform local tourism and enhance its global influence and position.

This year’s edition will feature 10 major tourism industry clusters, 30 tourism projects adopting new forms of business and another 100 selected tourism projects.

A document entitled Outlook on Tourism Investment in Sichuan will also be released on the occasion to enable participants to have a detailed idea of what are the areas of tourism investment in Sichuan and their respective demand and return.