Innovation Through Integration and Ecological Priority: Technologies Enable Sustainable Tourism

The World Tourism Cities Federation Wellington Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2024 (hereinafter referred to as the "Summit"), co-hosted by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and the Wellington City Council, was successfully held from 22 to 23 April 2024 in Wellington, New Zealand. Themed "Promoting Sustainable City Tourism: Innovation and Enhancement", the Summit attracted nearly 400 guests from about 42 countries and regions, including representatives from international tourism organizations, government officials, industrial leaders, experts and academicians, who convened in Wellington to engage in dialogues on the sustainable development of city tourism.

A photo taken at the venue

Admission ceremony for the new members of WTCF

The Summit was marked by several highlights, consisting of a section for keynote speeches, a section for releasing a research report, panel discussions, and a tourism fair, among others. This year's Summit yielded significant results, with memoranda of cooperation signed between multiple parties and more than 300 one-on-one negotiations launched between Chinese enterprises and the local cultural and tourism businesses in New Zealand, fostering international cooperation in the tourism sector and cultural exchange between the two sides. 

Panel Discussion themed "Tourism Cities: Diversified Integration and Innovative Development"

At the Summit, innovative ideas were shared through the in-depth discussions partaken by the guests.

"Prioritize ecological conservation for the rational exploitation of ecotourism resources." Dale Stephens, the Chairman of NZ Māori Tourism, emphasized Māori people's commitment to safeguarding the natural environment as a beneficial legacy for future generations. Qu Guangji, the Executive Vice President of China Southern Air Holding Co., Ltd., shared his company's tangible measures taken for sustainable development, highlighting their steadfast commitment to eco-friendly and low-carbon aviation practices, effective efforts in reducing food waste, and the implementation of whole-process digital initiatives for enhancing fuel efficiency. Raymond Faulkner, the General Manager of Sofitel Wellington, emphasized that Sofitel has established rigorous standards to implement multi-channel waste recycling initiatives, and remains steadfastly committed to low-carbon development concept and environmental protection. Ning Guoxin, the Vice President and Chief Government Officer of Utour Group, underlined the necessity of maintaining a balance between development and conservation, and emphasized the preservation of cultural and historical significance.

"Emphasize the innovative application of technologies to enrich cities' tourism experiences." Shu Zhan, the Vice President of SSV and Head of Digital Culture Laboratory of Tencent, shared successful cases of using technologies in preserving cultural heritage, including the restoration of Sanxingdui and the decipherment of oracle bone scripts; additionally, initiatives like "Digital Dunhuang", "Digital Forbidden City", and "Digital Central Axis" employ VR and AR technologies to enhance the accessibility and engagement of historical artifacts, thereby enriching the visitors' experiences. Li Minghao, the Vice President of Tongcheng Group, said that Tongcheng is also constantly using digitalization to empower the natural cultural industry, vigorously exploring possibilities of digital cultural tourism and digital transportation.

Panel Discussion themed "Tourism Cities: Heritage Preservation and Urban Renewal"

"Improve facilities and offer preferential services to enhance the convenience of international tourism." As the hosting country of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar has garnered worldwide attention. Philip Dickinson, the Director of International Markets of Qatar Tourism, credited this success to the nation's significant investments in the sports sector, notably the enhancement of infrastructure facilities like stadiums. Andrés Santamaría Garrido, the Director of Bogota Tourism of Colombia, asserted that the collaboration with indigenous communities enhances the uniqueness and richness of the tourist experiences. Mike Vincent, the Head of Aviation at Wellington International Airport, expressed his expectations for expanding the runway, optimizing efficiency, and increasing the number of direct flights, thereby offering more convenient services to travelers.

"Enhance inter-city collaboration and communication to foster cross-border tourism development." Grant Smith, the Mayor of Palmerston North and the President of Global Cities New Zealand, stressed the importance of inter-city cooperation and development, noting that New Zealand has established 103 sister-city relations across Asia. Christopher Cocker, the Chief Executive Officer of the Pacific Tourism Organization, said that Pacific countries share the same vision. Cooker expressed his hope for mutual understanding and support, and hoped that through governmental and non-governmental efforts, local communities can be developed while preserving cultural resources. Jacinta Lal, the Director of Tourism at Fiji's Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, championed collaboration with other island nations to foster a sustainable, thriving, open and inclusive tourism industry by 2034.

Additionally, WTCF released its latest achievement, the Report on World Tourism Economy Trends (2024), at the Summit. This report presents a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the future trends, opportunities, and challenges in the tourism industry across nine key areas. It outlines the overall recovery of the global tourism economy in 2023 and forecasts that the global tourism economy may reach an all-time high in 2024. In summary, the global tourism industry is moving into a medium-to-long-term phase marked by growth. Technological advancements and climate changes are identified as the two primary factors that will significantly reshape the global tourism landscape.

WTCF Wellington Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2024 was successfully held.

This year's Summit is the first-ever event hosted by WTCF in Oceania since its foundation 12 years ago, expanding its global development footprint. The Summit not only facilitated the exchanges of innovative concepts for the sustainable city tourism across various countries and regions, offering fresh perspectives for tourism innovation, but also bolstered connections among tourism enterprises and between enterprises and destinations, thereby contributing to the overall positive growth in the tourism economy. The Summit effectively leveraged WTCF's role as an international platform, built a bridge for in-depth exchanges between the tourism industries of China and Oceania, encouraged interaction among tourism entities in China, New Zealand, and other countries and regions in Oceania, facilitated the growth of the global tourism industry, and strengthened exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

Founded in 2012 under the initiative of Beijing, WTCF is the world's first international tourism organization focusing on cities. WTCF has now grown into an international tourism organization with a total of 246 members, which covers 86 countries and regions, including 164 city members, 82 associate members and institutional members as well as six sub-committees covering the following sectors: experts, civil aviation, tourism-related companies, media, cruise ships, and investment. After years of development and its enhanced appeal, services, guidance and influence in the tourism industry, WTCF is credited as the fastest-growing international tourism organization in the world. As WTCF's annual international brand event, the Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit has become a comprehensive platform for the entire tourism industry, enabling its members to exchange experiences, reinforce cooperation, boost the economy, and build consensus.