Beijing Consensus -- Framework of Tourism Services Guidelines of World Tourism Cities

September 12, 2013, Beijing

We, tourism cities from different countries and regions of the world, are gathered in Beijing today at the Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit of the World Tourism Cities 2013 to discuss the role of tourism services guidelines in world tourism development consistent with the vision of “Better City Life through Tourism”.

We share the view that urban tourism is important to promoting peace and understanding between the people of the world, and well-established guidelines for urban tourism services are conducive to improving the performance and quality of world tourism. In this context, we have reached the following consensus:

Tourism services can help improve the quality of tourism experience. Tourism is a type of activity that is most commonly linked with relaxation, leisure and fitness and most closely connected to culture and nature. Satisfactory, speedy, safe and convenient tourism services can generate an unforgettable tourism experience for tourists and leave a memorable impression of the tourism city in the minds of tourists.

Improved tourism services lead to a better quality of life for the community and residents of tourism cities. Tourism services can improve the living standards and meet the living needs of the residents of the host cities, and integrate the economic and social structure of the host cities more closely with each other. Proper tourism services guidelines provide a high-quality living environment for the residents of urban communities.

Tourism services lead to sustainable urban development. Well-established tourism services can ensure shared benefits for all the interest groups of tourism cities, and strike a balance in the social, economic and environmental progress of tourism cities.

Tourism services can promote the exchanges between cities and regions of different nations and cultures. The universalness and systematization of tourism services create opportunities for preventing regional conflicts, increasing equality and mutual trust. The provision of tourism services will boost the friendship between peoples and the integration of different cultures and civilizations.

The guidance of tourism services is required in shaping tourism awareness. The establishment of tourism services guidelines will enhance the tourism awareness of tourists, encourage them to respect national customs of the host cities, ensure that their tourism activities are not discriminated against and thereby kept away from conflicts.

Tourism services can promote the free movement of tourists. We need to improve the compatibility of tourism services guidelines with the existing provisions of the United Nations, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Maritime Organization and the Customs Cooperation Council, and streamline the border entry and exit procedures for tourists so as to ensure free movement of tourists.

The tourism services guidelines generate better tourism services. It is the obligation of tourism cities to improve the quality of services. The WTCF Secretariat must promote the building of coherent standards in different areas of tourism services so as to facilitate the exchanges and cooperation between city and non-city members.

The safety of tourists and the respect for their personality is a prerequisite for tourism services. It will be necessary for tourism cities to co-operate and draw up a set of policies and measures for when tourists’ person and property suffer serious harassment, especially in threatened plague, terrorist acts and other tourism crisis, to protect the safety of tourists.

Tourism services should use innovative means. All tourism services, such as flight reservation, hotel accommodation, car rentals, and guided tours are available online for anyone who has access to the internet. This facilitates and shortens the arrangements for any trip anyone desires to make, as well as ensuring the receiving of an immediate response.

Personalized tourism services are an important source of appeal for tourism cities. While underscoring the importance of compatibility with international tourism services standards, it is also important to encourage cities to develop tourism services carrying their unique local style and cultural features.

The residents of destination cities must be involved in the provision of tourism services. The residents of urban communities are the main provider of tourism services and a key component of tourism experience. It is important to encourage local residents to recognize the value of tourism services and actively take part in tourism planning, services and management through education and training, and attract the interest of tourists with personalized tourism services.

We hope the members of the WTCF will make great efforts to develop compatible tourism services with a focus on enhancing the quality of services, promote the integration of tourism services, and contribute to the building of a new order in the international tourism market and healthy development and prosperity of world tourism cities.

We believe it is important to clearly define the ways and means for promoting better service and tourism among WTCF members and encourage the members to adopt an inclusive, benefit-sharing, eco-friendly and innovative approach in delivering tourism services, and take all necessary actions to remove the barriers of exchanges and cooperation.

We firmly believe that the tourism services guidelines can help our member cities fully tap their unique, natural and ecological landscape as well as signature historical and cultural heritages in developing more personalized and differentiated tourism services, and become the most internationally competitive and attractive tourist city in their respective regions.