The opening ceremony of the 2025 Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Cultural Tourism Development Event, hosted by the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Culture and Tourism Department and the Baotou municipal people's government, was held on June 22 in Baotou.

The 2025 Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Cultural Tourism Development Event kicks off in Baotou. [Photo/Baotou news network]

Officials such as Zhang Xu, president of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA), Bai Yansong, Inner Mongolia cultural tourism image ambassador, and Dai Bin, director of the China Tourism Academy, attended the ceremony.

During the event, the first batch of famous tourism counties in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, new tourism products themed around road trips and sojourns, and action plans for the integrated development of culture, tourism, sports, trade, transportation and agriculture were released.

Baotou will carry out a series of cultural, sports and tourism activities, and attendees will observe the cultural and tourism activities of Baotou's key cultural and tourism projects.

The event's opening ceremony is held in Baotou. [Photo/Baotou news network]

Zhang Xu hailed the convening of the event, saying that Inner Mongolia has a long history, rich culture, and beautiful scenery. In recent years, it has developed natural landscapes such as grasslands, deserts, and forests, creating an important gateway for China's northward opening-up.

As an international tourism organization launched by China, the WTA currently has 259 members from 45 countries and regions. It will aid the high-quality development of Inner Mongolia's cultural and tourism industry, help the region expand its cooperation channels with countries and regions along the Belt and Road, and work to increase the international influence of Inner Mongolia's tourism brand.

In recent years, Baotou has been working to become a cultural powerhouse. By revitalizing and utilizing idle assets, it has created new cultural and tourism highlights such as the No 1 Village of the Yellow River, Baomian 1958, and Zouxikou historical and cultural block. The city will use the event as an opportunity to attract tourists from all over the world for both leisure and spirituality.