Deepening Cooperation and Innovation for Development: World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development 2022 Kicks off in Beijing

On 1 September, the World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development 2022 (hereinafter referred to as the "Conference"), hosted by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), was held at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. As one of the seven summit forums held during the 2022 China International Fair for Trade in Services, the Conference, with the theme of "Deepening Cooperation and Innovation for Development", consists of four parts: the Opening Ceremony, the special forum titled "Special Forum: Perspectives on Tourism Cooperation from Ambassadors", the Keynote Speech, and the Panel Discussion. More than 300 representatives from 49 countries attended the conference offline. The convening of the Conference is of great significance to promote the cooperation and innovative development of world tourism in the post-pandemic era and give rise to a new situation of prosperous development for world tourism.

The development of the world tourism industry has been seriously influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Finding out ways to promote tourism industry recovery and bring more vitality to world tourism cities is the main task for tourism cities in the post-pandemic era. Representatives from all over the world were invited to the Conference to establish an exchange platform for facilitating the recovery and development of international tourism and optimizing the world business environment for tourism.

Chen Jining, Chairman of the WTCF Council and Mayor of Beijing, delivered an opening speech.

At the opening ceremony of the Conference, Chen Jining, Chairman of the WTCF Council and Mayor of Beijing, delivered an opening speech. Chen said that the recovery of the world tourism industry is still slow with instability after having huge losses due to the outbreak of COVID-19. It requires tourism cities, international organizations, and tourism-related enterprises to work together and adapt themselves to potential challenges in a positive manner. Chen also praised WTCF for insisting on the core concept of "Better City Life through Tourism" since its establishment and for the contributions it had made to the sharing of the development experiences of tourism cities and the prosperous development of the global tourism industry. He said that Beijing, as an essential tourism city, paid great attention to the recovery and development of tourism. Since 2021, Beijing has coordinated pandemic prevention and control and social and economic development, issuing 18 measures on relieving the burden and supporting the recovery and development of the tourism industry. Beijing has provided strong support for the industry recovery. In 2021, the number of tourists to Beijing reached 255 million, and the tourism revenue was CNY 416.62 billion, with a year-on-year increase of 38.8% and 43% respectively.

Rao Quan, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of China, delivered a speech.

Rao Quan, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of China, said in his speech that the Chinese government took the high-quality development of the tourism industry seriously and had launched a series of policies and measures, and formulated and implemented the Development Plan for Tourism Sector during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period. The Chinese government will continue to provide more high-quality tourism products and services, optimize public facilities and release diversified measures that people can benefit from to better fulfill people's consumption needs in the era of tourism. Rao also said that WTCF, as an international organization for tourism, had played a vital role in establishing platforms and providing support for cooperation. According to his speech, China is willing to work together with other countries in strengthening cooperation in the tourism sector based on the principles of win-win cooperation and mutual development. Rao further expressed his hope of creating more opportunities in opening up, finding solutions in difficult times, and making contributions to the recovery of the world tourism industry.

Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director of UNWTO, delivered a speech via video.

Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director of the United Nations' World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), delivered a video address. She said that many cities had noticed the important role tourism played in reducing the impact of the pandemic. Zoritsa Urosevic also said in her speech that cities in the world should enhance the management of the tourism industry. The tourism industry in cities can be more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient only through innovations, knowledge sharing, and solutions focusing on long-term planning.

Sohail Khan, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), delivered a speech.

"The theme of the Conference is clear, and it is just in time," said Sohail Khan, Deputy Secretary-General of SCO in his speech. Experts from the UNWTO and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimated that in the first quarter of 2022, the number of international tourists was only 39% of that in 2019. However, the tourism industry is recovering gradually. The number of international tourists is expected to reach 55% to 70% of that of pre-pandemic time by the end of 2022, which means a lot to countries whose tourism revenue accounts for 20% of the national economic development. "In the new context, promoting cooperation is the main driving force to further support the recovery and development of tourism," said Sohail Khan.

During the section "Voice of Mayors from Tourism Cities", Juhana Vartiainen, Vice President of the Council (Europe) of WTCF and Mayor of Helsinki, Oh Se-hoon, Vice President of the Council (Asia) of WTCF and Mayor of Seoul, Fuad Noman, Mayor of Belo Horizonte, Miguel Romero Sotelo, Mayor of Lima,  and Andy Foster, Mayor of Wellington expressed their expectations for the cooperation of the international community in promoting the development of cities and the recovery of the international tourism.

Special Forum: Perspectives on Tourism Cooperation from Ambassadors

Cooperation is the driving force for development. To cope with the impact of COVID-19, the recovery of the world tourism economy depends on the integrated cooperation of governments around the globe. In the "Special Forum: Perspectives on Tourism Cooperation from Ambassadors", Hallam Henry, Ambassador of Barbados to China, Teshome Toga, Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to China, Alain Wong Yen Cheong, Ambassador of the Republic of Mauritius to China, Anne Lafortune, Ambassador of the Republic of Seychelles to China, and Siyabonga C. Cwele, Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa to China, had discussions on innovative development patterns under the theme of "Joining Hands in Tourism Cooperation & Promoting Innovation and Development" and shared successful experiences concerning cooperation in the tourism industry.

The host of the Conference, WTCF, was initiated in Beijing in 2012. It is the first city-oriented international tourism organization in the world, guided by its core vision of "Better City Life through Tourism", aiming to establish a platform for its members to exchange ideas, enhance cooperation and build consensus. By providing an opportunity for exchanges and sharing for the international tourism industry, the Conference aims to serve as an international platform and bridge for enhancing the innovative development of world tourism while promoting urban development of tourism cities, and play an essential role in leading the prosperous development of world tourism in the post-pandemic era.