WTCF Launches Agenda for the Future Development of World Tourism Cities (2021-2030)

2021 WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit & World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development kicked off in Beijing on 3 September. With the theme of "Revitalizing World Tourism and Energizing City Development", it was held by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality together with major international organizations and tourism institutions around the world.

 Li Baochun, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of WTCF, releases the Agenda for the Future Development of World Tourism Cities (2021-2030)

At the conference, Li Baochun, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of WTCF, launched on behalf of the organizer WTCF's key research result, Agenda for the Future Development of World Tourism Cities (2021-2030). Li Baochun suggested that the next decade is a crucial period for world tourism which will not only recover from the pandemic but also accelerate reform and transformation in the post-pandemic era before witnessing prosperity. Looking into the future, WTCF has comprehensively analyzed what the world will be like as well as tourism development trends in the next decade. In line with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, WTCF has formulated the Agenda for the Future Development of World Tourism Cities (2021-2030). Hopefully, the implementation of the agenda will promote the healthy, low-carbon and inclusive development of world tourism featuring greater convenience.

The agenda points out that the world's economic landscape has changed significantly since the outbreak of COVID-19. In addition, great changes have taken place in people's lifestyles and concepts of life, which will deeply influence the world's tourism and economic landscape. The pandemic has brought various challenges to the recovery of the global tourism industry, reconstruction of the tourism industry, cooperation of global tourism, tourism concepts and the sustainable development of tourism. Moreover, the development patterns of traditional tourism have witnessed a series of changes, and rapid growth of world tourism in the past 30 years has come to a halt. In addition, changes have taken place in tourism market demands and tourism product patterns, reform is obviously accelerating in the sector, and more have come to realize the urgency of tourism development and cooperation. Grasping opportunities offered by pandemic prevention and control, global tourism will enter a long-term and global cycle of reform and innovation that covers all industries and various fields.

The Agenda for the Future Development of World Tourism Cities (2021-2030) published this time focuses on "Better City Life through Tourism", and is divided into four parts, i.e. "Era and Responsibility: Our New Agenda", "Innovation and Reform: Our New Goal", "Responsibility and Mission: Our New Action" and "Implementation and Assessment: Our New Standard". In addition, the agenda elaborates on the background, historic opportunities, core concepts, guiding principles, development goals, action plans as well as assessment of implementation related to the future development of global tourism cities, offering a more transparent, multifaceted and participatory common program of action and blueprint to support the recovery and development of global tourism cities.

In particular, the agenda proposes 12 critical tasks on the basis of the Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and WTCF, namely coordinating pandemic prevention and control as well as tourism recovery in tourism cities, increasing the number of tourism-related jobs and incomes in cities, reconstructing the investment environment in tourism cities after the pandemic, building smart tourism cities, enhancing modern transportation network in tourism cities, improving the comprehensive services of tourism cities, strengthening public security systems in tourism cities, stimulating innovation of tourism patterns in tourism cities, boosting the development of local cultures in tourism cities, fostering development of tourism city brands, facilitating green and low-carbon development of tourism cities, and advancing cooperation among tourism cities. They will offer useful guidance on promoting the recovery and development of global tourism and tourism cities.

WTCF is the first international organization in the world focusing on tourism cities. Adhering to the core concept of "Better City Life through Tourism", WTCF has taken the lead by introducing sharing economy into global tourism, and is always committed to promoting the multilateral cooperation, sustainable growth and globalization of world tourism cities. After years of development, WTCF has comprehensively improved its appeal, services, leadership and influence in the tourism industry. Hence, it is reputed as the fastest growing international tourism organization.

Click here for Agenda for the Future Development of World Tourism Cities (2021-2030).pdf