Opening Address by AMFORHT Secretary General Djibril Fofana at the 2024 Meadin Cultural Tourism and Accommodation Festival - 6,000 Attendees Gather for a Grand Celebration

From November 14–15, the 2024 Meadin Cultural Tourism and Accommodation Festival successfully concluded in Suzhou, China, drawing over 6,000 participants.  

The event brought together decision-makers and leaders from global governmental associations, cultural tourism groups, scenic attractions, hotels, homestays, rental housing, and related industries. Discussions revolved around trending topics such as investment strategies, operational management, product innovation, and technological advancements. Attendees showcased annual research findings and predicted future industry trends.  

With more than 20 forums and closed-door meetings of various scales, the festival served as a hub for the exchange of innovative ideas among industry leaders. Meanwhile, the curated exhibition area, supported by over 40 government and corporate entities, highlighted resource integration within deeply interconnected cultural tourism scenarios.  

The two-day festival attracted 3,500 attendees on the first day and 2,500 on the second, with 95% being senior-level professionals. Online engagement was equally impressive, with over 10 million cumulative views of images and nearly 100 million video impressions, earning widespread praise for the event's high-quality content.  

These achievements offer only a glimpse of the ambitious blueprint for the cultural tourism sector.  

A Rising Force in the East of the world: the name "East Sunnet" signifies the rise of internet-driven innovation in the East. Since launching its first brand, Veryeast, East Sunnet has spent 21 years leveraging internet technologies to serve the cultural tourism industry. Its services span human resources recruitment, training, news, and media operations.  

In 2023, five flagship brands under East Sunnet—Meadin, Veryeast, 9 First Education, Yungu, and QiaoBang—jointly organized the Meadin Cultural Tourism Accommodation Festival. This event was co-hosted with 52 industry organizations, including the China Building Materials Circulation Association’s Hotel Special Committee, Jiangnan Masters Guild, the Low-Carbon Development Research Institute for Hotels, and Design99. It integrates networking, exhibitions, and business partnerships into a single platform.  

The festival’s opening ceremony featured speeches by several distinguished leaders:  

- Mr. Qiao Yi, Chairman of Hangzhou East Sunnet Technology Co., Ltd. and AMFORHT Greater China Country Delegate;  

- Mr Djibril Fofana, Secretary General of AMFORHT;  

- Mr Qin Zhanxue, President of the China Building Materials Circulation Association.  

Mr. Qiao Yi reaffirmed East Sunnet’s commitment to empowering the cultural tourism industry by:  

1. Organizing high-value events to enhance the growth and branding of Chinese cultural tourism enterprises.  

2. Supporting national initiatives by aiding Chinese enterprises and upstream/downstream industries in exploring global markets.  

3. Facilitating the application of data assets in urban tourism enterprises while collaborating with governments to advance digital financial services.  

4. Collaborating with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to accelerate AI adoption in tourism enterprises and academic institutions.  

Mr Djibril Fofana Fofana emphasized that tourism is more than sightseeing; it is a form of cultural exchange, an opportunity to see the world through different perspectives. He called for collaborative efforts to shape the future of tourism through education, cultural preservation, and sustainable practices, ensuring mutual enrichment for travelers and hosts alike while respecting historical treasures and fostering hope for the future.  

Key Brands under East Sunnet  

- Meadin: China's largest one-stop platform combining news, data, and business collaboration for cultural tourism stakeholders, including governments, enterprises, hotels, and scenic areas.  

- Veryeast: Established in 2003, this brand focuses on recruitment within the tourism and hospitality sectors, providing verified job opportunities in hotels, restaurants, senior care, homestays, apartments, and more.  

- 9 First Education: A pioneer in online training for the tourism industry, offering professional competence frameworks and certification programs.  

- QiaoBang: Specializes in recruiting senior management for international and domestic hotel groups, restaurant chains, and health and entertainment enterprises.  

- Yungu: Founded in 2020, this brand innovates marketing strategies for hotels, scenic spots, apartments, and homestays through custom video production and brand promotion.  

A Vision for Global Cooperation  

Looking ahead, East Sunnet aims to spearhead Chinese cultural tourism enterprises’ global outreach, elevate the international influence of Chinese tourism brands, and foster cross-border collaborations. By driving AI innovation and establishing global service platforms, it seeks to deepen integration between Chinese and international tourism industries, creating a win-win future for all stakeholders.  

Organizations and enterprises worldwide are invited to partner with East Sunnet. Opportunities include hosting Chinese tourism enterprises in global expos or facilitating academic exchanges for Chinese tourism institutions. For inquiries, please contact:  

- Djibril Fofana, Secretary General of AMFORHT: djibril.fofana@amforht.org  

- Jerry Yao, East Sunnet: yaoxiaolong@dfwsgroup.com