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Giant trek for giant pandas around Australia

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A fleet of ten giant panda-themed campervans has begun an epic journey from Sydney which will see them circumnavigate the Australian mainland promoting China as a tourist destination. The fleet of "Pandavans" will cover more than 30,000 kilometers over eleven weeks around the entire Australian coastline from North Queensland to Darwin and inland from Adelaide, via Alice Springs across Central Australia and through the outback to the Far North of Queensland to Townsville.

Luo Weijian with the China National Tourist Office in Sydney outlines the route of the Panda Explorer Trek at the official launch ceremony for the fleet of 10 panda-themed vans in Sydney, Australia on April 27, 2017. [Photo: China Plus/Zhang Qizhi]

"This is a first for China Tourism anywhere in the world," says Mr. Luo Weijian, Director of the China National Tourist Office in Sydney. Of the more than one million Chinese visitors to Australia each year, most will visit cities and popular tourist destinations but few will have the chance to experience local life throughout the continent. Mr. Luo says the "Pandavans" program, known as the Panda Explorer Trek, aims to take China to hundreds of towns and regional communities across Australia, while at the same time give Chinese people an insight into the diverse Australian landscape and cultures.

One of the ten vans on display. [Photo: China Plus/Zhang Qizhi]

The fleet is expected to make one of the most significant stops in South Australia at Adelaide Zoo, home to Australia’s only giant pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni.

One of the ten vans on display. [Photo: China Plus/Zhang Qizhi]

The trek is being staged as part of the 2017 China-Australia Year of Tourism, a year-long promotion of tourism cooperation between Australia and China, which sees the implementation of joint initiatives by both governments to further improve tourism exchange and cooperation.

Luo Weijian (left) with the China National Tourist Office in Sydney, Yang Zhi(center), Minister Counselor (culture) from the Chinese Embassy in Australia and Tony South, Chairman of Tourism Australia at the launch ceremony of the Panda Explorer Trek in Sydney, Australia on April 27, 2017. [Photo: China Plus/Zhang Qizhi]

At hundreds of stops along the way the "Pandavans" will act as travelling information booths on China and its many wonders, handing out panda-themed giveaways. Along the route, the Panda Explorers will be capturing images and videos from across Australia to be uploaded on several Chinese online and social media platforms. Mr. Luo from the China National Tourist Office in Sydney says they expect well over one hundred million Chinese people to see the images and read the great stories from the Panda Explorer Trek. "But this trek is just as much about promoting Chinese tourism and the many incredible experiences China has to offer Australian tourists, from spectacular mountains and rivers, to ancient wonders and the finest cuisine from the many rich and diverse regions of China; and our modern and vibrant cities," he says.

Among other highlights of the China-Australian Year of Tourism, 1000 Australian tourists will be hosted at an official welcoming ceremony in the ancient Chinese capital of Xi’an on September 14. The guests will take part in a special Tang Dynasty Grand Ceremony staged exclusively for Australian visitors.

Last year saw more than 670,000 Australian tourists travelling to China, an increase of 5.6% over 2015.

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