Tourism is about much more than visiting places, Zhang Li, director of the China National Tourist Office London, said, adding that it means discovering cultures, understanding one another and building lasting friendships.

LONDON, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- With a huge cartoon panda waving among mountain-shaped Chinese booths and various intangible cultural heritage elements exhibited all around, the largest-ever China pavilion is attracting visitors with its unique cultural charm at the 2026 edition of the World Travel Market (WTM) in London.

Themed "China Tourism: Culture Enriches Travel, Innovation Shapes the Future, Global Cooperation Drives Sustainability," the pavilion opened to visitors on Tuesday with a ceremony featuring a Kung Fu performance drawing large crowds.

WTM Portfolio Director Jonathan Heastie told the ceremony that travelers want to engage with people, culture and everyday life at their destinations, and therefore China offers the exact experience they seek: distinctive regional cuisines, living traditions and extraordinary cultural heritage.

The China pavilion spans more than 480 square meters - an expansion of around 22 percent from last year's record-breaking area.

Distinctive cultural and tourism elements from 14 Chinese provincial-level regions welcome visitors at different booths, which are designed based on the contours of China's mountains and rivers and built with environmentally friendly materials.

Products from 116 Chinese tourism organizations, travel agents, airlines, theme parks and culture and technology firms are displayed for visitors.

Tourism is about much more than visiting places, Zhang Li, director of the China National Tourist Office London, said, adding that it means discovering cultures, understanding one another and building lasting friendships.

He invited more British people to visit China and hoped more Chinese visitors would experience the rich heritage and hospitality of Britain and other countries.

Speaking highly of China's visa-free policy for British citizens, Patricia Yates, CEO of Britain's national tourism agency VisitBritain/VisitEngland, said the policy makes it easier to travel and deepen cultural ties between the two countries.

After the opening, visitors enjoyed a rich display of Chinese culture, including tasting Chinese food and tea, appreciating Chinese brocade and incense, making handicrafts like dough figurines, woodblock printing and embroidery, and watching traditional opera performances.

Vanessa Brown, an American visitor, was amazed at the flavor of Chinese milk candy. "My niece is enjoying her honeymoon in Guilin; she loves the beautiful landscape there," Brown told Xinhua. She also plans to experience China's natural environment and diverse culture herself.

Ceren Coskun, an exhibitor from Trkiye, tasted Chinese brown tea at the pavilion and decided to buy some for her 8-year-old daughter as a gift. "Chinese tea has a similar taste to that in my country, and the two cultures share the feature of well combining tradition and modernity," she said.

In front of the booth of Shandong Province, Diana Aboagye, a travel agent from Ghana, engaged with Chinese companies to explore cooperation opportunities. Diana Jaramillo, a Spanish travel agent, said she wants to know more about local tourism advantages to develop new routes for Spanish travellers.

Bruna Queiroz from a Brazilian travel agency beamed with joy when she opened a blind box at the pavilion and found a lovely cartoon figure.

"Every year, we have a lot of clients in Brazil who want to visit China. This country is very beautiful and there's a lot to do within a single trip," she said, adding that the popularity of China routes surged in recent years in Brazil. People are interested in Chinese scenery, cities, culture and technological innovation, such as electric cars, she added.

"China today is not China yesterday," said Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO of the Pacific Asia Travel Association. Chinese technology is at the cutting edge of infrastructure, software and data, he said, adding that China is "a destination of the future."