“THIS is my first visit to Shenzhen, but I feel very at home here. The city shares so many similarities with my hometown Miami. Both are young, full of migrant vitality, have a similar warm climate, and are developing international tourism brands. Miami has a history of more than 100 years, much longer than Shenzhen, but it is still young compared with many other U.S. cities.

Miami is a good place for leisure and holidaymaking, with beautiful scenery and pleasant sunshine on the beaches. But numerous other countries in the world, such as Cuba, Jamaica and Mexico, also have beautiful beaches. So we do not talk about beaches in promoting Miami. We do not define my city by its geographical features. We draw tourists to Miami and tell them it is a spiritual experience, that the city is full of passion. We organize big events to let them feel the vitality and charms of the city. We held Super Bowl events, which not only drew tourists here but spread the name of the city as well. We also held a modern art exhibition two years ago which helped establish a culture brand for Miami.

Today, Miami attracts more international tourists than Los Angeles and New York.

Shenzhen is a beautiful place, and its key is to let the world know. So, it is very important to communicate with the rest of the world. The international tourism conference is a good effort in that direction and it would be desirable to invite foreign journalists here, through whose articles the whole world will read about and see your city.”

Speaker:

Rolando Aedo, vice president of Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), Florida, United States

With an MBA degree in international business from the University of Miami, Aedo has been a senior executive of GMCVB for the past 10 years.