On January 10, 2024, the Netherlands Holiday Travel Expo (Vakantiebeurs) opened in Utrecht. The brand-new tourism image, "Nihao China!", made its debut in the Dutch tourism market, attracting various businesses and representatives from the tourism, aviation, and visa services sectors. Ambassador Tan Jian attended the opening ceremony of "Nihao China!" Pavilion and delivered a speech, accompanied by Minister Counselor Yu Jian from the Embassy's Cultural Department and Director Wang Zheng from China Cultural Center the Hague. Notable guests such as Ron Keller, former Dutch Ambassador to China, and Jeroen van Hooff, CEO of the Royal Dutch Exhibition Group, also attended the event.



"Nihao China!" Pavilion covered an area of 100 square meters. The design emphasized Chinese cultural characteristics, incorporating Chinese elements while balancing practicality and functionality. The booth featured a business negotiation area, tourism promotion area, cultural display area, and information desk. With crimson columns, screens displaying paintings, and a welcoming Begonia gate, the booth showcased the "Thousand-Mile Landscape" printed in high definition.

In his speech, Ambassador Tan Jian briefly introduced China and highlighted that China's participation with its new tourism image was a concrete practice of implementing the consensus on promoting practical cooperation between the leaders of the two countries. He also mentioned China's recent 15-day visa-free policy for ordinary Dutch passport holders and reduced visa processing fees, providing practical convenience for people traveling, studying, and doing business in China. Ambassador Tan Jian introduced the unique painting, the "Thousand-Mile Landscape," reproduced with copyright from the Beijing Palace Museum, emphasizing its artistic significance as a masterpiece by the Northern Song Dynasty artist Wang Ximeng. He invited everyone to explore the diverse cities and countryside, cultural landscapes, and delicious cuisine in China.



Jeroen van Hooff, CEO of the Royal Dutch Exhibition Group, shared his delightful experience visiting China during the Beijing Olympics. He emphasized China's significance to the Netherlands Holiday Travel Expo as the world's largest tourism market, believing that China's participation enhanced the expo's influence and contributed to bilateral cooperation in the field of visitor exchange and tourism exhibitions.

Ron Keller, former Dutch Ambassador to China, expressed excitement during an interview, stating his joy at seeing the exquisite Chinese booth. He believed that China's rich culture and tourism resources were highly appealing to the Dutch people, and the visa-free policy provided more convenience, anticipating an increasing number of Dutch tourists visiting China.

Wang Zheng, Director of China Cultural Center the Hague, explained that this was China's first time participating in the Netherlands Holiday Travel Expo. Through this exhibition, they aimed to promote Chinese culture and tourism, allowing international exhibitors to better understand the enormous potential of the Chinese tourism market and fostering cooperation between Chinese and foreign tourism industry players.



During the public opening from January 11 to 14, The Nihao China Pavilion not only distributed tourism promotional materials and showcased cultural and creative products but also organized activities such as panda-themed family activities, interactive experiences in paper cutting, calligraphy, and painting. On 14th Jan, Tom Lops, a TUI company leader, shared his extensive experiences in China with a presentation titled "Hello China!", accompanied by classic melodies performed by Ms. Liang Haixia, a Chinese Guzheng musician in the Netherlands, playing "Harvest Drums" and "Jasmine Flower."



The Netherlands Holiday Travel Expo, established in 1970, is the largest and highest-level holiday-themed professional tourism exhibition in the Netherlands, now in its 53rd edition. This year marks the new edition after the normalization of events post-pandemic. It is expected to host around 1,000 institutions from nearly 100 countries and regions, with over 110,000 visitors attending the exhibition.