STORY: Dutch tulip industry expert sees growing tulip market in China
SHOOTING TIME: Oct. 17, 2024
DATELINE: Oct. 20, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:13
LOCATION: THE HAGUE, the Netherlands
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the World Tulip Summit
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): IBO GULSEN, Chairman of World Tulip Society
3. various of tulips
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): IBO GULSEN, Chairman of World Tulip Society

STORYLINE:

World Tulip Society Chairman Ibo Gulsen has expressed his optimistic outlook on the expanding potential of the tulip market in China.

Gulsen was speaking to Xinhua on the sidelines of the World Tulip Summit, a biennial event held in The Hague from Oct. 16 to 18 this year.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): IBO GULSEN, Chairman of World Tulip Society
"I think the potential of tulips in China is growing and growing every year, because you see the application's changing. It started in first only landscaping. But now you see people bringing the tulips inside their houses. And it's also not anymore the traditional colors like red or yellow. But nowadays, it's more pink and pastel colors. So you see the taste is evolving. The interest is evolving in tulips."

The chairman also highlighted the potential of aligning tulip sales with traditional Chinese celebrations, such as the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): IBO GULSEN, Chairman of World Tulip Society
"Spring Festival and also Mid-Autumn Festival are big celebrations in China. It's a kind of natural growing cycle that you can already force tulips into bloom for the Chinese New Year. But with Mid-Autumn (Festival), it is actually interesting that we can use flower bulbs from the Southern Hemisphere, bulbs that are growing in New Zealand, that can already start blooming in September and October in China. And we see that the climate is actually more suitable as it gets colder during the season. Tulips like the cold, so the cooler it is, the longer they will last and (for people to) enjoy."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from The Hague, the Netherlands.
(XHTV)