China is set to see more capital inflow and enterprise cooperation during this year's Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, in order to meet the growing appetite for cultural tours.

The two-day expo that ended Thursday encompassed thirteen forums, a music gala and a trade fair, which resulted in the signing of 26 significant projects worth a total of 10.6 billion yuan (about $1.45 billion), while also promoting the creative cultural products and tourism resources of northwest China's Gansu Province.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). With participation from more than 50 countries, regions, and international organizations, the Dunhuang Cultural Expo has evolved into a thriving platform for cultural cooperation and trade among countries along the Silk Road.

Wu Lixia, vice chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Gansu Province, said preliminary discussions were conducted on an initiative to enhance economic and trade exchanges in cultural fields during the expo. This initiative reflects the commitment of the participants to deepen cooperation in the international cultural sector.

In addition, this year's expo featured exhibitions of cultural and creative products, as well as tourism equipment. Over 3,600 unique Gansu cultural products and more than 300 items, combining traditional customs with modern trends in tourism equipment, were showcased. These efforts aim to expedite the industrialization and upgrading of Gansu's expanding cultural tourism industry.

According to the cultural tourism department of Gansu's most popular travel city, Dunhuang, the city's tourism revenue reached 7.391 billion yuan in the first seven months of this year, witnessing a substantial increase of 454.47 percent compared to the previous year.

"Gansu Province has strategically positioned cultural and tourism project development as a cornerstone for leveraging its strengths, fostering industry growth, invigorating business dynamics, and boosting consumer spending," said He Xiaozu, director-general of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Gansu Province.

In the expo result briefing, he said that the 6th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo not only showcased a new image of Gansu Province, including its cultural and economic achievements, but also promoting the development of the BRI.

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