Thematic Forum Held During WTCF Changsha Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2023 for Discussion of Opportunities and Changes in Tourism

Publish Time:2023-05-11 20:11:48Source:WTCF

【Introduction】:On 10 May, the World Tourism Cities Federation Changsha Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2023 commenced in Changsha, China. In the afternoon of the same day, a thematic forum was held under the theme of "Opportunities and Changes in Tourism". The forum aimed to explore how tourism cities can develop innovative policies, reconstruct business models, and enhance service quality to contribute to the prosperity and development of the tourism industry in the post-pandemic era when tourism-relevant demands change and digital technologies fuel business renewal.

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The venue

On 10 May, the World Tourism Cities Federation Changsha Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2023 (hereinafter referred to as the "Summit") commenced in Changsha, China. In the afternoon of the same day, a thematic forum was held under the theme of "Opportunities and Changes in Tourism". The forum aimed to explore how tourism cities can develop innovative policies, reconstruct business models, and enhance service quality to contribute to the prosperity and development of the tourism industry in the post-pandemic era when tourism-relevant demands change and digital technologies fuel business renewal.

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Ana María Lafuente Córdoba, Counsellor for Tourism of Consulate General of Spain in Guangzhou

Jiang Yiyi, an expert of the Expert Committee of WTCF, presided over the forum. Ana María Lafuente Córdoba, Counsellor for Tourism of Consulate General of Spain in Guangzhou, discussed the recovery of Spain's tourism industry and relevant measures to revitalize the industry. According to her, the key lies in the integration of culture and tourism as well as the construction of smart cities. Lafuente pointed out that the year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Spain diplomatic relations and is the China-Spain Year of Culture and Tourism. Spain has been blending its vibrant and varied culture with its tourism industry and collaborating with numerous Chinese cities to promote Spanish destinations through cultural means. At the same time, Spain has constructed a network of smart cities, which facilitates communication between tourism-related institutions from tourist destinations across the country. With this network, these institutions can conduct exchanges on a variety of issues, including tourism management, intelligent technology application, and sustainable tourism development.

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Ralf Ostendorf, Director of Marketing Management, Visit Berlin

At the forum, Ralf Ostendorf, Director of Marketing Management at Visit Berlin, shared Berlin's initiatives to revive tourism and enhance the quality of tourism services. According to Ostendorf, the resumption of offerings of tourism-related products, including cultural establishments, is of vital significance. He also emphasized the necessity of improving connectivity and restoring consumer confidence.

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Liu Zuokui, Deputy Director-General of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism

Liu Zuokui, Deputy Director-General of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, shared the city's post-pandemic innovative measures during the forum. Some of these measures include improving policy systems for market players to support their innovative development, creating brands to add new elements to cultural tourism consumption, and strengthening collaboration between government authorities at all levels to launch cultural tourism products jointly. According to Liu, Beijing's tourism industry has shown a steady recovery since the beginning of this year, starting with the Spring Festival. Both revenue and tourist arrivals have reached new highs, with popular attractions experiencing record-high demands. During the recent Labor Day holiday, 206 monitored scenic spots in Beijing welcomed 14.127 million tourist arrivals, marking a 2.8-fold YoY increase and a 9% increase compared with 2019. In addition, rural tourism has become increasingly popular amongst tourists, and cultural tourism has significantly boosted consumption.

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Lorena Villar, Senior Project Specialist of Tourism Market Intelligence & Competitiveness, UNWTO

Lorena Villar, Senior Project Specialist of Tourism Market Intelligence & Competitiveness, UNWTO, presented a range of statistics demonstrating the recovery of the world tourism industry. Tourism cities must address challenges such as increasing costs, noted Villar. To overcome these hurdles, she suggested better integration between policy improvement and capability of catering to tourists' needs. Additionally, introducing intelligent technologies for urban governance optimization and innovating tourism products can also serve as potential solutions.

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Ning Guoxin, CGO of Utour Group

Ning Guoxin, CGO of Utour Group, shared Utour's exemplary cases, experiences, as well as the resources available to aid in the recovery of the tourism industry. Additionally, he outlined Utour's plans for developing tourism offerings and its layout of travel destination marketing. "Tourism recovery requires a gradual approach, particularly with regard to the resurgence of outbound travel, and throughout this process, it is crucial for tourism companies to operate efficiently and harness their expertise," said Ning.

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