The 9th World Leisure Congress will be held in Hangzhou, China from 15 to 20 October 2006. The Congress, of the highest international standard, will be a key element in the World Leisure Expo also to be held in Hangzhou in 2006.

The theme of the conference is "Leisure.integral to social, cultural and economic development" and is designed to attract about 3,000 delegates from home and abroad. The program will be of direct interest to all those in the field of leisure including tourism, sport, recreation, art, play and festivals.

As one of the seven ancient capitals in China, Hangzhou is a famous historical and cultural city. It is also one of the most beautiful and scenic cities in the world. Renowned as "Paradise on Earth", Hangzhou has a strong leisure tradition and culture. In this context, it has won honors including "Garden City of the World" and the award by the United Nations of "Best Residential City."

Economically, Hangzhou has a strong pedigree, ranking fifth in terms of competitiveness among Chinese cities. The Forbes Magazine in 2004 and 2005 evaluated the city as the No.1 in the "Best Business Cities on Mainland China," while the same consecutive years World Bank judged Hangzhou as No. 1 in terms of "Chinese Cities with Best Overall Investment Environment." The development of the sector has led the city and its surrounding area to be called "Silicon Valley in Paradise."

The city is very recognized in China, an attractive and safe location to live, work, rest, and play. By hosting the 9th World Leisure Congress, we hope we share our story and exchange knowledge about leisure concept, policies and practices. Through this we hope ultimately to improve the level of leisure services leading to an overall improvement of the quality of life of communities thought the world.

As the host and on behalf of the 6.5 million people living in Hangzhou, I warmly welcome friends from home and abroad to participate in the 9th World Leisure Congress. Let us meet in Hangzhou during the golden month of October 2006 and enjoy leisure together!