?“Sichuan is more beautiful and impressive than I had ever heard,”said Vira Rotpojanarata, Minister of Culture of Thailand, Friday.

The Thai minister made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 3rd Sichuan International Travel Expo in Leshan, Sichuan Province.

“Before visiting Sichuan Province I used to hear about the beauty of Sichuan’s nature, hot and spicy Sichuan dishes, popular tourist attractions… When I arrived in Sichuan and Leshan I was thinking of the so-called Thai proverbs ‘a picture paints a thousand words,’"the minister said, encouraging people to travel to different places for direct experiences.

The minister also pinned high hopes on tourism exchanges with Sichuan, expecting the two sides to exchange their best practices in promoting tourism in particular cultural tourism with each other?at the event.

“There have been increased exchanges of visits both at the governmental level and between the people of our countries. In 2015, around 435,000 people from Sichuan travelled to Thailand as Thailand has become the first foreign travel destination for tourists from Sichuan. Leshan city has also established a sister relationship with Thailand’s Prachuabkirikhan province promoting relations and cooperation in all areas,” he said.

As the Guest of Honor at the event, Thailand has organized a Thai Festival 2016 in Leshan from September 22 to 28.?Plenty of activities are carried out on Paradise Street including traditional cultural Thai performances, culture and arts demonstrations and Thai food.

The Third Sichuan International Travel Expo opened in Emeishan City, Leshan of Sichuan Friday with the theme of “Open and Cooperative Travel Trade to Boost the Development of the Silk Road Economic Belt.”