Exclusive Interview with Pansy Ho We must keep the mentality of keeping pace with the times

"Pursue development, but don't expand blindly. ”

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He Chaoqiong, who has neat short hair and plain clothes, appeared in Kunming, Yunnan. At that time, it was the end of the year, and under the influence of the cold snap, the climate in Kunming was slightly colder than in previous years, but it did not hinder the enthusiasm of He Chaoqiong and other private entrepreneurs to go to the south of Caiyun to talk about cooperation.

From December 26 to 28, 2023, the Second Executive Committee Meeting of the 13th All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and the Conference on Promoting the High-quality Development of Yunnan by Private Enterprises were held. Gao Yunlong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, attended and made a work report. He Chaoqiong, vice chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and chairman of Shun Tak Group, also made a special trip to attend the conference.

During the period, Pansy Ho accepted an exclusive interview with "Chinese Entrepreneur", responding to topics such as the recovery of the cultural and tourism industry, New Year's outlook, and the development of the private economy.

We should pursue development, but not blind expansionThe key is to do what you can. Trends are constantly changing, development and progress are always updated, and we must keep the mindset of keeping pace with the times. He Chaoqiong emphasized.

Shun Tak Group has been deeply involved in the field of transportation network for nearly 20 years, from operating maritime transportation connecting Hong Kong, Macao and the Pearl River Delta to now engaging in the "land, sea and air" transportation network. Pansy Ho also plays a unique and important role as a bridge between the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage and the development of the cultural tourism industry.

Cultural tourism is the beginning of He Chaoqiong's career take-offIt also carries her wish to promote cultural inheritance and promote regional development.

Last year, she visited Miao Village in Guizhou many times, talked with embroiderers, and conducted interviews and photographs on Miao embroidery. She used her identity as the global promotion ambassador of the Miao embroidery industry in southeast Guizhou to make Miao embroidery, the pearl of China's intangible cultural heritage, get more people's attention, appreciation and sharing. She wore traditional Miao costumes and wore Miao headdresses, and once "swiped" the Internet.

As the vice chairman of the China Cultural Relics Protection Association, Pansy Ho actively promotes world cultural exchanges and mutual learning. She has traveled to Gansu to investigate the conservation of cave temples, and has also participated in the initiation of Asian cultural heritage protection in Xi'an**. In the future,She will strive to bring back the Dunhuang collections scattered overseas to China through digital meansI hope that more people will "see Dunhuang" and let the beauty of Dunhuang be passed on forever.

With multiple social responsibilities on her shoulders, He Chaoqiong has room to further exert her ability and start a business. At the end of 2022, Pansy Ho began to serve as the vice chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. In the past year, she has followed in the footsteps of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and visited many provinces and cities in China. She is also a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a member of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and a member of the Standing Committee of the 13th All-China Women's Federation.

As a member of China's private entrepreneurs, Pansy Ho deeply feels the importance of cooperation for development. She hopes to actively build a good relationship with external parties and promote the long-term development of the private economy, "especially in the cultural and tourism industry, we must have two-way communication skills, build more bridges, and strengthen interaction." In the next 5 to 10 years, this is a top priority. He Chaoqiong said.

*: China Business Times Photo: Zhang Lei It is reported thatA total of 31 cooperation projects were signed at the conference on private enterprises to promote the high-quality development of Yunnan, with an investment of more than 70 billion yuan. The two parties come from the executive committee of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, the top 500 private enterprises, the top 500 manufacturing enterprises, industry leading enterprises, 16 states and cities in Yunnan Province and relevant departments, and the projects cover plateau characteristic agriculture, green energy, new materials, biomedicine, digital economy, cultural tourism, modern logistics and other fields.

The following is a transcript of the conversation between "Chinese Entrepreneur" and He Chaoqiong (with deletion):

"Chinese Entrepreneur":If you could look back, what was the one thing you were most anxious about and felt the most accomplished in 2023?

Pansy Ho:That's a great question. Let's start with what I'm most anxious about.

In the past three years, many industries have reported stress. The All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce has done relevant research, and now the results are out, and it can be said that (the survey results) have given us a shot in the arm. I feel it too,In fact, the overall situation has exceeded expectations, however, the challenges for some small and micro enterprises may still be relatively large.

Take my own experience, for example.

At the beginning of 2023, the development of the cultural tourism industry is relatively difficult, and we do have concerns. But a year has passed, and to the present, we have seen that all localities are paying more attention to the development of the cultural tourism industry, and many new policies have also been introduced. It can be seen that China's tourism economy has gone through the current round of unconventional cycles after experiencing a sharp recession and a deep depression.

After a year of rapid recovery, a new phase has arrived.

In the first three quarters of 2023,Domestic tourism reached 367.4 billion person-times, achieving tourism revenue of 37 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase. The main observation indicators such as the number of domestic tourists, tourism income, average travel distance of tourists, and average stay time of each festival have all exceeded the level of the same period in 2019.

Therefore, overall, in the past year, the demand for tourism in Chinese mainland has basically recovered to the level of 2019. [I believe] the future is also good. So there are two different answers to this question: there were indeed worries at the beginning of the year, but now, we have also seen the dawn.

"Chinese Entrepreneur":What are your expectations for the important growth points of the cultural tourism industry in 2024?

Pansy Ho:For the overall development of the cultural tourism industry, I believe that policy support will play an important role in the future. We hope that the policy side will rely more on support, assistance, or some service packages (follow-up) in the future. We also hope,This is a long-term blessing that can be mutually reinforcing with industrial investment.

For the company itself, we will have two new projects completed in 2023, one is in Shanghai, which contains rich cultural and tourism elements. In Singapore, we also have a new hotel opening. In Macau, China, we also have some new projects that are being completed or renovated, and the core of them is how to continue to integrate more cultural and tourism elements into the project.

*: Pansy Ho pansy ho WeChat*** future,The development model of pure hard assets will not always be the focus of investment in the cultural and tourism industry. Now that we have entered a new stage of high-quality development, we must start with services, innovate content themes, invest in more new technologies, and present more new forms. Because tourists are an important port of the cultural tourism industry, and we have seen the characteristics of new customers, they pay more attention to the overall experience.

In addition, from 2024 onwards, we hope to continue to increase our promotional efforts to serve Chinese mainland tourists well while gaining more overseas tourists. We need to put more effort into doing this better. This is all a new industrial direction.

"Chinese Entrepreneur":In the future, what role do you or your company hope to play in the industrial chain?

Pansy Ho:Do things with a long-term perspective. We need to strengthen the quality and ability training of talents, and improve the overall service quality of the cultural and tourism industry by unleashing their capabilities. To put it simply, it is to make employees more capable and more international.

We need to create more and different career platforms for them, and combine the personal growth of employees with the development of the enterprise platform, which will also bring new opportunities for the future development of the enterprise.

"Chinese Entrepreneur":At present, private entrepreneurs generally feel the pressure. What do you think about staying focused and resilient?

Pansy Ho:We must pursue development, but do not blindly expand, the key is to do what we can.

Don't chase for momentary gains and lossesRather, it is necessary to build a more sustainable development plan, which is gradually promoted and implemented. In the process, we will have a lot of work to do and a lot to learn. I believe that trends are constantly changing, development and progress are always updated, and we need to keep the mindset of keeping up with the times.

Especially for the cultural tourism industry, I hope that industry peers must not regard each other as competitors, but pursue more communication and cooperation. If you have different experiences and perceptions, you can strengthen contact, and if you have the opportunity, you can share the market information you understand with each other from different perspectives, so as to comprehensively promote the development of the tourism and cultural industry, which is also the best way to grow.

"Chinese Entrepreneur":What are the key challenges that will affect the growth of enterprises and industries in 2024 and beyond?How to deal with it?

Pansy Ho:We are now in the midst of a rather complex process of globalizationEveryone influences each other, and no one can develop alone.

In the future, we will continue to work hard to build better relations and achieve more cooperation with other countries and regions. At present, especially in the cultural tourism and tourism industries, you can't always be one-way (output), you must have two-way communication skills, build more bridges, and strengthen interaction. In the next 5 to 10 years, this is a top priority.

In this regard, I would also like to make some contributions.

We are already at a very good juncture. As a private entrepreneur, we need to further promote the entrepreneurial spirit and seize the opportunity of the times. Based on the strong cultural connotation of the country, we should explore more innovative integrated development models of culture and tourism, explore unique cultural connotations, create high-quality and warm tourist destinations, and gather strength for the sustainable development of the regional economy.

"Chinese Entrepreneur":Looking around the industry and beyond, are there any entrepreneurs you particularly admire or admire?

Pansy Ho:Many entrepreneurs have done a successful and capable business.

I don't want to talk about a certain sector or a certain person's experience, because everyone is deeply engaged in different fields, and the industries they are engaged in have different characteristics and go through different cycles. I think it's important to have the opportunity to sit down and share. Therefore, the conference organized by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce is also very meaningful for entrepreneurs.