Gathering the Strength of Cities to Revitalize World Tourism: WTCF Changsha Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2023 Kicks off in Changsha, China

On 10 May, the World Tourism Cities Federation Changsha Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2023 (hereinafter referred to as the "Summit") officially kicked off in Changsha, China. Themed "Gathering the Strength of Cities to Revitalize World Tourism", it is an event jointly hosted by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and Changsha Municipal People's Government. International organizations including the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the World Tourism and Tourism Council (WTTC), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the Global Tourism Economic Forum (GTEF) are attending the summit as important partners.

The ambassadors to China from eight countries including Colombia, Ethiopia, Jordan, Malta, Moldova, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the charge d'affaires from Costa Rica and Kenya, were in attendance. More than 400 representatives from 37 countries of Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia, the state ministries and commissions, relevant departments in Beijing, as well as members of cities and institutions of WTCF, media outlets, well-known tourism enterprises, and investment institution representatives, gathered in Changsha, a scenic city with beautiful mountains, rivers and lakes, to discuss the revitalization and development of the world tourism industry, and share the wisdom and strength from the full industry chain of world tourism.

Yang Haodong, a member of the Standing Committee and Director-General of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, delivers the opening speech.

At the opening ceremony, Yang Haodong, a member of the Standing Committee and Director-General of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, delivered an opening speech on behalf of the host city. He said that the Summit works in accord with the development trends of world tourism, and is of great significance in facilitating exchanges and cooperation among world tourism cities, building confidence for world tourism development and promoting economic recovery. In recent years, Hunan has been building five "tourism brands" and tourism has become a focus for investors, an area of special interest to consumers, and a highlight for opening up. As the capital of Hunan Province, Changsha is also an important city along the Belt and Road, one of the most popular tourist destinations and the most popular city for night tourism in China. Not to mention, the city has been listed as one of the "Top Ten Cities to Travel to in China" of the "Wonderful Chinese Cities for Living" ranking. In the future, "we sincerely hope to deepen and expand cooperation with domestic and foreign tourism cities and organizations through the important platform of WTCF for mutual benefits and win-win outcomes," Yang said.

Joe Colombano, Head of the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in China, reads the written address by Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China.

Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China, commissioned Joe Colombano, Head of the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in China, to deliver a speech on his behalf at the opening ceremony. In his speech, Chatterjee pointed out that the impact of the pandemic shows that the tourism industry should be more inclusive, resilient and sustainable. He also emphasized the importance of international cooperation, saying that "China's reopening will create a ripple effect, boosting the recovery and growth of the world tourism industry. Meanwhile, it will benefit other economic sectors and vigorously promote sustainable development across the world." He indicated that UN entities in China are willing to promote the national development strategy of China and international cooperation together with the Chinese people and government.

Tumurtumuu Zundui, Vice Mayor of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on behalf of WTCF's new members, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony.

Tumurtumuu Zundui, Vice Mayor of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on behalf of WTCF's new members, said in his speech that the tourism industry is one of those most seriously affected by COVID-19. In 2022, Ulaanbaatar joined WTCF as a new member, thereby acquiring a new opportunity to promote Mongolia internationally. Tumurtumuu expressed that the Summit this year is a perfect platform for not only the discussions of the future vision of the tourism industry, but also for the exchange of ideas on current challenges, future trends, and cooperation opportunities for the best solutions. "There is no doubt that this Summit will make valuable contributions to the revitalization and future development of the tourism industry," he said.

Sima Hong, Vice Mayor of Beijing Municipality, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony.

Sima Hong, Vice Mayor of Beijing Municipality, pointed out in her speech that global tourism will witness a strong recovery this year. Sima further proposed four initiatives to member cities and tourism practitioners, namely "Improving the quality of tourism and meeting people's expectations for a better life", "Promoting the integration of business forms and the comprehensive development of the urban economy", "Strengthening communication between cities to realize coordinated development through cooperation for win-win outcomes", and "Keeping up with development trends and promoting the intelligent development of tourism". "As the headquarters of the WTCF, Beijing will work with its member cities to gather the strength of city development and jointly contribute to the prosperity of tourism cities around the world," said Sima.

The Summit this year has invited influential guests and features more than 20 highlight events, including 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. It is a platform for industrial representatives from around the world to communicate and exchange ideas. During the segments of tourism promotion and investment negotiation, the preliminary intentions on cooperation for eight projects will be reached with a total investment of CNY 12.18 billion.

In addition, WTCF released the Changsha Initiative for tourism cities during the Summit, calling for world tourism cities to gather strength, work together, create new driving forces for tourism city development, and jointly build a better future for the world tourism industry.

In the past three years, the world tourism economy had been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the globe. Determining the ways to boost confidence in developing the global tourism industry and revitalize world tourism cities is the top concern of tourism cities. Under the new situation, the Summit has established an exchange platform for scholars and practitioners to jointly explore new methods and practices for the recovery of world tourism cities. The convening of this Summit is of great significance for supporting tourism cities, promoting consensus among governments, tourism departments, industrial associations, and enterprises related to tourism industry chains in all countries, and facilitating the recovery and prosperity of the world tourism industry in the post-pandemic era.

As a host of the Summit, WTCF is the world's first international tourism organization initiated by Beijing focusing on cities. Since its establishment, WTCF has been vigorously building platforms and promoting cooperation. Starting with 58 founding members, it now has a total of 238 members, which covers 83 countries and regions, including 159 city members, 79 institutional members in addition to 332 members among six branches. After years of development, WTCF is now known as one of the world's fastest-growing international tourism organizations, making the world tourism industry more attractive, service-oriented and influential. As an annual international event, the Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit has become a comprehensive platform for member cities and institutions to promote exchanges, strengthen cooperation, contribute to the global economy, and build consensus in the tourism industry.