The 17th Beijing International Tourism Festival kicked off Thursday.[Photo by Yang Feiyue/China Daily]

The 17th Beijing International Tourism Festival began Thursday at Olympic Forest Park.

The five-day event is being held by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development. Song Yu, head of the commission, was at the opening ceremony, as were art troupes from 18 countries, including the US, Italy and India.

Foreign artists displayed their own traditional arts at the ceremony.

This year’s event is aimed at promoting travel routes and resources in Beijing’s suburban areas, the organizer said.

The festival’s upcoming events also will be staged at Garden Expo Park in Beijing’s Fengtai district and Nanhaizi Park in Daxing district.