Gathering the Strength of Cities to Revitalize World Tourism: WTCF Changsha Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2023 to Open Soon

The World Tourism Cities Federation Changsha Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2023 (hereinafter referred to as the "Summit"), jointly organized by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and Changsha Municipal People's Government, is scheduled to be held in Changsha City, China, from 9 to 11 May. Themed "Gathering the Strength of Cities to Revitalize World Tourism", the Summit will include several segments, such as an opening ceremony, a segment for keynote speeches, a special forum of ambassadors, the mayors' dialogue, the release of research reports, a segment for thematic speeches, a thematic forum, a promotion conference for tourism investment, and a segment featuring tourism B2B matching. The Summit aims to strengthen the development capabilities of tourism cities and encourage governments, tourism authorities, industry associations, and tourism-related businesses to reach a consensus, create win-win opportunities, share insights, take multiple measures concurrently, and cooperate through many other means, for the tourism industry to thrive once again in the post-pandemic era.

The upcoming Summit has garnered global interest. Several international organizations, including the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), and the Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), which will attend the Summit as key supporting partners and collaborative organizations.

Prominent Figures to Convene to Discuss New Opportunities for Revitalizing World Tourism

The ambassadors to China from Colombia, Ethiopia, Jordan, Malta, Moldova, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and Tobago, and the charge d'affaires of Costa Rica and Kenya will attend the Summit this year. A total of 400 honorable guests, including the representatives of 37 countries of Europe, Africa, Americas and Asia, China's state ministries and commissions, city and institutional members of WTCF, media outlets, prominent tourism enterprises, investment institutions, etc., will gather at Changsha.

Eight ambassadors to China will participate in the "Special Forum of Ambassadors" to discuss emerging trends and demands in world tourism. They will present to all attendees how their respective countries have adapted to the changing circumstances and tackled new challenges in the development of tourism. Mayors and vice mayors from four popular tourist destinations in different countries will discuss the latest trends and challenges of the tourism industry, and share ideas for implementing new measures, innovative strategies, and fresh approaches to revitalize the industry. Karl Wöber, Director of the WTCF Expert Committee and a professor at MODUL University Vienna, will provide a thorough analysis of the current trends in European tourism. Wolfgang Georg Arlt FRGS FRAS, CEO of China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), will analyze how the recovery of China's outbound tourism will impact the world tourism economy. Ralf Ostendorf, Director of Marketing Management, Visit Berlin, and Lorena Villar, Senior Project Specialist of Tourism Market Intelligence & Competitiveness, UNWTO, will discuss in a thorough manner the opportunities and changes in the tourism industry with representatives from Chinese enterprises. Juan Carlos Arnau Avila, Vice President of FEMATUR, will analyze the tourism recovery seen in South America.

The Summit will bring together academia and industry, combining extensive experiences and profound insights to jointly discover new ideas and approaches for revitalizing global tourism cities in the face of new situations.

Forward-looking Research Reports Outline Innovative Strategies for Tourism Development

The Summit will not only serve as a platform to exchange insights and experiences but also facilitate the sharing of research findings among stakeholders, practitioners and other colleagues in the world tourism industry. Moreover, it will offer intellectual backing and strategic guidance to support the revitalization and growth of tourism cities.

WTCF will unveil one of its significant research outcomes, the Report on World Tourism Economy Trends (2023), during the Summit. Through data analysis, this report offers a comprehensive review of the progress made by the global tourism industry in 2022. In conjunction with ongoing and projected trends, the report also presents a multi-dimensional assessment of the industry's future development in 2023, examining emerging patterns and new trends. The report is projected to provide strong theoretical support for the industry's decision-making in response to the continuously changing landscape.

Furthermore, WTCF, in partnership with the UNDP, has completed a research report titled The Sustainable Development of World Tourism Cities in the COVID Context: The Research on Chinese Actions. This report will also be unveiled during the Summit. Through the study of 10 Chinese member cities (i.e. Chongqing, Guangzhou, Changsha, Luoyang, Jiaozuo, Sanya, Kunming, Chengdu, Qingdao and Beijing) of WTCF, the report reveals these cities' achievements in innovating development models and promoting tourism in an orderly manner amidst the pandemic, and also discusses China's path of sustainable development, which puts people first. The practices and paths presented in the report may be helpful for the world tourism industry and for other urban tourism destinations to revitalize and boost their tourism activities.

As an international tourism organization focusing on tourism cities, the WTCF plans to unveil the Changsha Initiative during the Summit. This initiative urges tourism cities worldwide to gather strength and work collaboratively towards high-quality utilization of tourist resources while enhancing inter-city exchanges and partnerships. The Changsha Initiative is poised to generate fresh momentum for the development of tourism cities, and contribute to a more promising future for the world tourism industry.

WTFC Continues to Expand and Develop Platform for Enhanced Tourism Collaboration

A promotion conference for tourism investment and a tourism B2B matching segment will also be held during the Summit.

At the promotion conference, Changsha's projects of cultural tourism investments will be showcased through roadshows, and representatives from participating fund enterprises will be given a detailed introduction to Changsha's investment potential. Seventeen investment fund enterprises, invited by the WTCF's Committee of Investment, will participate in the promotion conference and engage with project leaders in a face-to-face way.

During the B2B matching segment, the WTCF's Committee of Tourism-Related Businesses will facilitate negotiations between 28 tourism enterprises and over 60 suppliers of the tourism industry in Changsha, to promote in-depth discussions regarding the resource-relevant advantages of all parties involved, and thus establish a platform for discovering potential cooperation opportunities and building cooperative relations.

WTCF, voluntarily formed by famous tourism cities and tourism-related institutions in the world under the initiative of Beijing, is the world's first international tourism organization focusing on cities. Ever since its establishment, WTCF has been striving to create platforms and foster collaborations. Starting with 58 founding members, WTCF has now grown into an international tourism organization with a total of 238 members, including 159 city members and 79 institutional members from 83 countries and regions, as well as 332 members of six branches. After years of development and its growing ability of appeal, service, guidance and influence in the tourism industry, WTCF has now become the fastest-growing international tourism organization in the world. The Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit, an annual international event hosted by WTCF, has been developed into a multifaceted platform for the tourism industry, offering member cities and institutions opportunities to strengthen communication, promote collaboration, stimulate economic growth, and establish common ground.