A summit focusing on developing marine tourism was held in the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone (PCPZ) in Fujian province on Dec 19.

You Mengjun, deputy director of the administrative committee of the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone, speaks at the 2014 International Marine Tourism Economy Forum in Pingtan in Fujian province on Dec 19. [Photo/pingtan.gov.cn]

Scholars, experts and officials gathered and brainstormed over how to maximize the potential for marine tourism as Pingtan aims to become an international tourism island.

Pingtan has made big strides in its infrastructure construction in the past few years. It will take advantage of being approved as part of a free trade zone (FTZ) in Fujian province to build itself into a tourism island as well as a free trade port, said You Mengjun, deputy director of PCPZ’s administrative committee.

As an important city along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, Pingtan should serve as a bridge between Fujian and Taiwan and use the opportunity to open up markets in southeast,, south and west Asia, North Africa and Europe, said Bai Changhong, dean of the Tourism and Service School at Nankai University.

The development blueprint of Pingtan will lie in five important orientations, she added. The first is to cultivate the business environment as an experimental zone for cross-Straits cooperation. The second is to build an international free trade port and tourism island. Thirdly it needs to highlight the regional economy. The fourth is to cultivate a cluster of industries with high-production values.

The summit was jointly held by the Fujian Tourism Bureau, PCPZ’s administrative committee and Naikai University.