During October 17 to 20, 2008, Mr. Peter Shackleford, the Director of Administration Office from World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), paid a special visit to Hangzhou China to attend the opening ceremony of the10th West Lake International Expo Hangzhou China and to participate in the 2008 China City Convention and Exhibition High-Level Forum.

The Trip to Hangzhou left a deep impression on Mr. Peter Shackleford. At the departure time, he expressed sincere gratitude to Hangzhou Municipal Government and the Organizing Committee of West Lake Expo. He believes that Hangzhou possesses excellent natural environment, grand blueprint and excellent tourist facilities. All these resources ensure Hangzhou the best tourism destination for visitors at home and aboard. At the same time, the high standard expos and marvelous exhibition halls enhanced his belief that the future of the West Lake International Expo Hangzhou China, as well as Hangzhou's exhibition industry is bound to be extremely beautiful.

Mr. Shackleford left a letter before he left for Spain.

Dear Friends,
At the conclusion of my stay in Hangzhou for the Opening Ceremony of the 10th WEST LAKE INTERNATIONAL EXPO 2008, I wish to thank the Municipal and Provincial authorities, and in particular Vice-Mayor, Mr. Zhang Jianting, Director of Expo Office, Mr. Ye Min and their colleagues for the opportunity to represent the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) at this world-class event.
It gives me great personal and professional satisfaction to recall the warm welcome and exquisite hospitality received from the authorities and all those responsible for my stay. On this occasion, I have been able to witness the high quality of the EXPO and the delightful venue it enjoys. There is no doubt that Hangzhou fully deserves to be included among the China Best Cities. The environmental quality of Hangzhou, the carefully designed and ambitious plan for the future of the city and the excellent tourism facilities and signage makes this an optimum location to visit both for domestic and international tourists.

I have therefore no doubt that the future of the Expo and indeed of Hangzhou Province is very bright indeed. Please be assured that my colleagues at the UNWTO, and in particular the Regional Representative for Asia and Pacific, Mr. Xu Jing, will be ready to offer any advice or assistance that you may need in this regard.

I was most grateful to have the opportunity to deliver yesterday, 19 October 2008, an Address to the distinguished gathering of high officials and senior experts who participated at the Forum held to initiate the West Lake Expo Online.
In conclusion, I should like to thank all those who contributed to the success of my visit and in particular to Ms. Zhou Xiying for her invaluable assistance in Chinese-English interpretation and for ensuring perfectly the logistical arrangements for my stay and for accompanying me on the interesting visits to the West Lake Expo Museum, the Automobile Expo 2008, the Liangzhu Cultural Museum, the Xixi Wetland and the enchanting Impression West Lake show.

I look forward to visiting your City again in the future when I am sure that I shall be impressed by the progress you will have made.