The UK has been one of Europe's major tourist-generating countries for Sichuan, with more than 244,000 British people visiting the province in 2019, according to Tian Xiangli, chairwoman of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

"The bonds of friendship between Sichuan and the UK are long-lasting, and the Sino-British cooperation in the tourism industry can further facilitate our relationship. I hope the event today can open a new chapter for improving the cultural exchanges between the two sides," said Tian.

John McLean, chairman of the China UK Business Development Centre, who has traveled to China extensively, said tourism can bring people together and break biases and misinformation.

"Whenever you visit a place, you get to understand how people live their lives differently, and it is how they live that creates understanding. Life these days is all about understanding each other and finding shared experiences," he said.

He also pointed out that people-to-people exchanges are significant to economic development, noting that more British businesses are showing willingness to engage with China compared to the situation earlier this year, which signifies a positive sign for the Sino-British bilateral relationship.

He went on to say he would continue to promote exchanges between China and the UK in the areas of trade, investment, technology, education, tourism, and more.