2021 WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit & World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development Opens in Beijing

On 3 September, 2021 WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit & World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development opened at the China National Convention Center, Beijing. It was organized by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, together with major international organizations and tourism institutions.

The event was the only summit forum organized by an international organization during the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS). Themed "Revitalizing World Tourism and Energizing City Development", it was composed of seven parts, namely the Opening Ceremony, Global Perspective, Special Forum, Keynote Speeches, Research Results Release, Dialogue on the Sustainable Development of Tourism Cities, and Sub-forums. Present at the forum were more than 360 guests from 40 countries. The conference was highly relevant in the global context of pandemic containment as well as tourism recovery. It was of great significance for promoting the peaceful, inclusive and sustainable development of global tourism under the new normal of pandemic prevention and control. 

The event was livestreamed to the whole world, especially more than 200 WTCF members from over 150 cities in 78 countries and regions, featuring both on-site and online multi-lingual support in the five languages of Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Russian. 

Platform for Tourism Exchanges to Boost Global Recovery

Tourism is known as the bellwether and driving engine of the global economy. Tourism recovery and revitalization are crucial for the recovery and development of the global economy. The annual event of WTCF has attracted industry representatives from around the world to discuss development trend and strategies of tourism revitalization amidst the pandemic. 

Hu Heping, Minister of Culture and Tourism of China, delivers a speech at the 2021 WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit & World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development on 3 September 2021

At the opening ceremony, Hu Heping, Minister of Culture and Tourism of China, delivered a speech. He noted that ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has been vigorously coordinating all the work to support pandemic prevention and control as well as promote tourism recovery. Its efforts have paid off, and the tourism market has seen a steady rebound. "In the first half of 2021, the number of domestic trips in China reached 1.87 billion, more than 60 percent of the same period in 2019". 

Currently, COVID-19 is exacerbating the instability and uncertainty facing the global economy, while all countries tend to promote opening-up and cooperation. Hu Heping suggested that nations around the world should deepen international tourism cooperation for mutual benefits and win-win outcomes, strengthen coordination to help tourism enterprises through, encourage innovation and creation to promote further development of tourism, create opportunities in times of opening-up, tackle challenges through cooperation, join hands to enhance the high-quality development of world tourism.

Chen Jining, Chairman of WTCF Council and Mayor of Beijing, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of 2021 WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit & World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development on 3 September 2021. 

Chen Jining, Chairman of WTCF Council and Mayor of Beijing, stated in his speech that world tourism is witnessing comprehensive recovery and reforms. Now it's beginning to reshape itself and shows strong vitality. Amidst the pandemic, the tourism sector has been taking effective measures and exploring a series of new business forms and patterns. WTCF will play a key role as an international tourism organization to promote the globalization of tourism, continuously enhance cooperation and exchanges among tourism cities, and join hands with all members to go through the bad times. Chen Jining pointed out that Beijing where WTCF is headquartered has shown strong resilience and built a solid foundation for tourism recovery. "At the next stage, Beijing will enhance exchanges, cooperation and experience sharing with WTCF member cities and institutions, so as to contribute more for the global tourism revitalization".

Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, delivers an opening speech via the video at the 2021 WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit & World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development on 3 September 2021

At the opening ceremony, Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, delivered a video speech. He noted that global vaccination is helping tourism markets in numerous countries recover from the pandemic. In early July, UNWTO held the UNWTO Mayors Forum for Sustainable Urban Tourism and released the Porto Declaration on Tourism and the Future of Cities, calling on all sides to take action and promote tourism development. Zurab Pololikashvili underscored that the core concept of the declaration is fully in line with that of Agenda for the Future Development of World Tourism Cities (2021-2030) released at the event. He believes that the cooperation between UNWTO and WTCF will facilitate the implementation of the crucial agenda and promote the recovery and sustainable development of cities around the world through tourism revitalization.

Vladimir Norov, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, addresses the participants via the video at the 2021 WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit & World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development on 3 September 2021

Vladimir Norov, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, also addressed the participants via the video. He noted that COVID-19 not only brings daunting challenges to global tourism but also offers new opportunities for tourism development. "Contactless services based on information and communication technology, such as virtual tourism and cloud exhibitions, have reduced operation costs, improved service quality and the sector's ability to deal with emergencies. This will help create a new and high quality tourism environment." Vladimir Norov observed that SCO, WTCF and UNWTO have established close partnerships. In this context, he suggested further that a trilateral cooperation outline will better enhance tourism development amidst the pandemic. 

Ángeles Muñoz Oriol, Mayor of Marbella (Spain) on behalf of New Members, delivers a speech via the video at the 2021 WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit & World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development on 3 September 2021

Mayor of Marbella (Spain) on behalf of New Members, Mayors of Beijing's sister cities and WTCF members, including Wellington, Seoul, Helsinki, and Buenos Aires, also sent video messages expressing their expectations toward cooperation of the international community in overcoming the challenges and promoting world tourism recovery. 

Global Wisdom Meeting to Promote Tourism Revitalization 

COVID-19 not only imposes an unprecedentedly serious challenge to global tourism development but also provides a historic opportunity to make changes happen. The tourism sector has reached a consensus on exploring trends and strategies of global tourism revitalization amidst the pandemic, as well as sharing experience of how countries have joined hands to fight COVID-19 and enhance tourism recovery. 

In the Global Perspective section after the opening ceremony, themed video presentations from different angles were given by Ms. Pansy Ho, Vice-Chairman and Secretary-General of Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), Mr. Tojiddin Jurazoda, Chairman of the Committee for Tourism Development under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, Mr. David André, Mayor of the City of Victoria, and Mr. Eijiro Yamakita, President and CEO of JTB Corporation, on hot topics including global tourism recovery and revitalization, cooperation among cities, innovative patterns and development trends.

Special Forum: Ambassadors' View on Tourism

In the context of pandemic prevention and control, tourism recovery and development require all countries to enhance cooperation and explore effective policies. In the Special Forum: Ambassadors' View on Tourism themed "Revitalizing World Tourism and Jointly Creating a Bright Future", H.E. Luis Diego Monsalve Hoyos, Ambassador of the Republic of Colombia to China, H.E. Hussam Al Husseini, Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to China, H.E. Sarah J.C Serem, Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya to China, H.E. Maria Gustava, Ambassador of the Republic of Mozambique to China, H.E. Moin ul Haque, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to China, H.E. Ali Al Dhaheri, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to China, H.E. Martin Chedondo, Ambassador of the Republic of Zimbabwe to China, and Hon. Jorge Romeu, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in China, offered their insights into potential strategies of global tourism recovery amidst the pandemic as well as shared successful experience of the joint fight to curb the pandemic and promote tourism development. 

Research Results Released to Support Tourism Development 

Chen Dong, Secretary-General of WTCF, moderates the Keynote Speech session at the 2021 WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit & World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development on 3 September 2021

Chen Dong, Secretary-General of WTCF, hosted the Keynote Speech session. Wang Hong, Executive Vice Chairman of the WTCF Council and Vice Mayor of Beijing, and Chong Quan, President of China Society for World Trade Organization Studies (CWTO) and Former Vice Minister of MOFCOM, delivered keynote speeches. 

Wang Hong, Executive Vice Chairman of the WTCF Council and Vice Mayor of Beijing, delivers a keynote speech at the 2021 WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit & World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development on 3 September 2021

Wang Hong noted that the pandemic has dealt a serious blow to global tourism but has also brought new opportunities for the sector's development. More specifically, domestic tourism is gaining popularity, supply and demand of tourism is more diversified, and tourism transformation is obviously accelerating. In the new context, tourism must keep pace with the times and make changes happen. Wang Hong believes that global tourism cities should, for their high-quality and sustainable development, change their tourism management modes, better deal with changes in market supply and demand, as well as promote technological application. 

Chong Quan, President of China Society for World Trade Organization Studies (CWTO) and Former Vice Minister of MOFCOM, delivers a keynote speech at the 2021 WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit & World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development on 3 September 2021

In his speech, Chong Quan stated that the spread of COVID-19 has deeply influenced trade in services. In particular, tourism services suffered the heaviest blow. The World Trade Organization has been promoting a series of negotiations in order to fight the pandemic. But the final agreement is yet to be reached. In this context, Chong Quan suggested that the international community should enhance cooperation to better deal with the pandemic, reduce service trade barriers, and formulate better standards for trade in services, in order to provide a more stable and predictable market environment for the recovery and development of trade in services, especially international tourism services. 

Du Yili, WTCF Expert and Deputy Director-General of Former China National Tourism Administration, releases the World Tourism Cities Development Report 2020 at the 2021 WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit & World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development on 3 September 2021

In the following Release of Research Results, Du Yili, WTCF Expert and Deputy Director-General of Former China National Tourism Administration, released World Tourism Cities Development Report 2020. The report highlights 40 globally influential node cities, and summarizes representative practice and experience of promoting the recovery and growth of global tourism cities. Besides, it selects eight WTCF member cites as examples and summarizes their experience of fighting COVID-19 and achieving tourism recovery. 

Li Baochun, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of WTCF, releases the Agenda for the Future Development of World Tourism Cities (2021-2030) at the 2021 WTCF Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit & World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development on 3 September 2021

Li Baochun, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of WTCF, released Agenda for the Future Development of World Tourism Cities (2021-2030). The agenda has, according to the status quo of the pandemic, analyzed the development trends of global tourism. Moreover, it focuses on promoting the prosperity of tourism cities, fully aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals in the UN 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda, presents the development agenda and goals for global tourism cities in the next decade, and provides inspiration and guidance for recovery and development of world tourism cities. 

Dialogue on Sustainable Development of Tourism Cities

On the morning of 3 September, present at the Dialogue on Sustainable Development of Tourism Cities were Devanand Ramiah, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP China, and Liu Bin, Deputy Director-General of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism. They shared experience of how China's tourism cities have been vigorously trying to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals, which will inspire global tourism cities to work harder for sustainable development.