Read RFA coverage of this story in Uighur.
China has used a London travel show to promote its Xinjiang narrative in the West and encourage tourism in the far-western region, despite the government’s continued crackdown on the nearly 12 million mostly Muslim Uighurs who live there.
The event drew criticism from human rights activists, who spoke out against Beijing’s efforts to falsely show foreign visitors that Uyghurs in Xinjiang are thriving.
The Culture and Tourism Bureau of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region held a booth titled “Xinjiang is a good place” at the World Travel Market trade fair in London from November 5 to 7.
Attendees were able to experience “Xinjiang’s most magical charm” and “experience ethnic cultural diversity,” says a booth description on the show’s website.
Staff distributed coupons for hotels, scenic spots and ski resorts to participating guests to encourage more international visitors to Xinjiang, according to a report in China’s official newspaper. World Time said.
The exhibition was part of a broader presentation on “China’s High-Quality Tourism Development.”
Rights groups including the Washington-based Uyghur Human Rights Project have denounced the trips as “genocidal tourism,” accusing China of sanitizing its human rights abuses in the region.
They warned Western travel agencies not to participate in this type of tourism and criticized the World Travel Market for providing a platform for China to paint a whitewashed picture of the situation in Xinjiang.
Rights groups also accused the Chinese government of using the event as a stage to cover up and justify what the U.S. government and the parliaments of several Western countries have deemed genocide and crimes against humanity.
Their accusations are based on credible reports of widespread and systematic human rights violations, including mass detentions, cruel and inhumane treatment or punishment, forced sterilization of women, and forced separation of children from their parents.
Nicholas Bettles, head of strategic partnerships at World Travel Market London, declined to comment. The show’s publicist, Becca Krug, did not respond to an email request for comment.
Presenting Xinjiang as a “great success”
Henryk Szadziewski, research director at the Uyghur Human Rights Project and co-author of a report on Xinjiang tourism, said China was using the travel fair to try to show the world the “success” of its “Xinjiang policy” in stabilizing the region.
He said it was the first time China sent tourism officials from Xinjiang to the World Travel Market, which organizes six annual business-to-business events on four continents.
The Chinese government uses tourism as a proxy to show visitors “very carefully selected parts of the region and then report to the world that the region is now a big success,” Szadzieski said.
More than 10 domestic tourism companies from Xinjiang as well as eight other Chinese provinces and cities have debuted at the World Travel Market. World Time reported.
“As travel to China increases thanks to visa waiver policies, Xinjiang welcomes visitors to experience its magnificent scenery and appreciate the beauty of the region,” said Guli Abulimu, director of the Xinjiang Department of Culture and Tourism.
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THE China Dailyanother state-owned media, said that “the intangible cultural heritage, literary and creative products and tourism brochures presented at the Xinjiang booth captivated many international exhibitors, immersing visitors in the attraction of Xinjiang.”
“Their enthusiasm and keen interest in Xinjiang’s tourism offerings have triggered collaborative efforts to further enhance the region’s attractiveness,” the report said.
Radio Free Asia called the China National Tourism Office in London, but staff declined to comment on criticism from human rights groups.
A staff member working at the fair dismissed rights groups’ warnings about traveling to Xinjiang amid a crackdown on Uyghurs, calling them “misleading news from some media outlets”.
Rahima Mahmut, UK director of the World Uyghur Congress and executive director of the Stop Uyghur Genocide group, said showcasing Xinjiang at the World Travel Market was part of the Chinese government’s image-building campaign.
“Over the past seven years, the Chinese government has been widely seen as having committed genocide,” she said. “In an attempt to counter this perception, they pretend that such a thing does not exist and invite people to take a tour to see the ‘real’ Xinjiang.”
“They argue that Uyghurs have their own culture, speak their own language and sing their own songs,” Mahmut said. “In reality, they are creating false narratives to try to improve their image. »
Translated by RFA Uighur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.