Perspectives on Tourism Cooperation from Ambassadors: Innovative Cooperation for a Better Future of World Tourism

Special Forum: Perspectives on Tourism Cooperation from Ambassadors

The World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development 2022 took place in Beijing on 1 September. One of its sections, the Special Forum: Perspectives on Tourism Cooperation from Ambassadors, invited five ambassadors from Barbados, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Seychelles, and South Africa to China to take part in an in-depth discussion on the theme of "Working Together in Tourism to Foster Innovative Development".

Seeking new growth strategies under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and measures to promote recovery in tourism

Countries around the globe have actively begun to look for ways to revitalize their battered tourism industries in the context of pandemic prevention and control. At the Special Forum, the ambassadors invited shared their experiences and ideas on how to transform the tourism industry and measures to enhance international cooperation.

Hallam Henry, Ambassador of Barbados to China

Barbados is one of the world's four leading tourist destinations, it boasts an abundance of tourist resources, and its tourism industry is regarded as an essential economic pillar of the country. Hallam Henry, Ambassador of Barbados to China, spoke of the government of Barbados's policies and measures aimed at stimulating and revitalizing the development of the tourism industry and kickstarting the economy. Henry also mentioned that the government of Barbados intended to increase investment in the tourism industry, strengthen environmental protection, upgrade payment systems, and introduce digital technologies among other things.

Teshome Toga, Ambassador of Ethiopia to China

Teshome Toga, Ambassador of Ethiopia to China, said that although the pandemic had hit the tourism industry hard everywhere, and Ethiopia was no exception, the concerned parties in Ethiopia were striving to implement a number of aid measures that included infrastructure development in tourist attractions, increasing investment in the aviation industry, and promoting a visa-on-arrival policy. Toga expressed a desire to bring more tourists to Ethiopia to experience the majesty of the African landscape.

Alain Wong Yen Cheong, Ambassador of Mauritius to China

Alain Wong Yen Cheong, Ambassador of Mauritius to China, said that the tourism industry occupied the third position in his country's economy, accounting for 25 percent of GDP before the outbreak of the pandemic, and was greatly affected as a result. The government of Mauritius has therefore initiated a series of financial assistance programs, taking particular aim at businesses involved in tourism, subsidizing employee salaries to ensure that no job will be lost in the meantime. In addition, the vaccination rate in Mauritius has reached approximately 90%, making "Mauritius one of the safest tourist destinations in the world" as stated by Wong.

Anne Lafortune, Ambassador of Seychelles to China

Anne Lafortune, Ambassador of Seychelles to China, noted that Seychelles is a small island nation that depends heavily on its natural beauty. When the country closed its borders in early 2020, the tourism industry and the economy, on the whole, came to a virtual standstill. Seychelles has subsequently adopted a series of effective measures aimed at reopening the country's borders in a safe and responsible manner. First, the Ministry of Health introduced a series of guidelines of requirements that places of accommodation and food services should meet in order to be certified Green to accept inbound visitors. Second, the government instituted a travel health certification mechanism for tourists to submit the required information and documents related to their health when applying for entry. In addition, Seychelles seeks to promote full immunization from the get-go in an attempt to achieve herd immunity as quickly as possible. Lafortune also talked about online efforts to showcase the natural beauty of Seychelles while borders were still closed. "We want to tell potential visitors to start dreaming about the beauty of Seychelles now and then turn their dreams into reality," she said. The initiative will ensure that people are willing to come back to Seychelles when it opens up to tourists again.

Siyabonga C. Cwele, Ambassador of South Africa to China

South Africa's tourism industry has also been hard hit by the pandemic. Siyabonga C. Cwele, Ambassador of South Africa to China, focused on sharing industry recovery strategies. Cwele stated that, firstly, the stability of infrastructure services should be ensured. Secondly, the government looks to promote or create demand for tourism. The third priority is to issue support policies, including establishing a fund to assist small tourism-related businesses in dealing with the outbreak, implementing electronic visas, and creating innovative platforms for promotional activities globally.

Enhancing international cooperation and creating a better future for tourism worldwide

The forum was moderated by Tian Wei, a host from CMG-CGTN.

The ambassadors taking part in the discussion were happy to share their ideas about what future developments of mutually beneficial cooperation in tourist cities around the world might look like.

Lafortune, the Ambassador of Seychelles expressed her opinion that a country's economic development should avoid being overly dependent on the tourism industry. According to her, a diversified development pattern would be preferable, and nature should be protected to ensure the sustainable development of the industry.

Henry, the Ambassador of Barbados suggested that countries create unique travel experiences, such as adopting storytelling in tourism promotion to engage tourists through new experiences. Regarding cooperation, Henry believed that it would be helpful to sign a memorandum of understanding between government departments and promote exchanges between people to form effective cooperation and establish diverse partnerships to make the tourism industry more resilient and sustainable.

Wong, the Ambassador of Mauritius mentioned some new opportunities the country was poised to embrace. "Mauritius can attract more tourists to explore something new, unknown, and brilliant," he said. For instance, Mauritius possesses world-class healthcare facilities as well as internationally renowned golf courses. As for cooperation, Wong was certain that it was critical to learn from each other.

When speaking of innovations in tourism, Cwele, the Ambassador of South Africa to China noted especially that many tourism enterprises in South Africa had started to provide Chinese-speaking tour guides. "This is one of the innovations we made," the ambassador said.

Toga, the Ambassador of Ethiopia to China agreed to promote innovations and the development of existing tourist products and highlighted the importance of establishing partnerships in the development of tourism. He mentioned that China was the world's largest source of tourists and that Ethiopia understood the fact well and was interested in attracting more Chinese tourists to Ethiopia. In addition, he expressed a hope that practitioners in the tourism industry of Ethiopia and China would come together to develop more resources in Ethiopia and promote sustainable development in tourism. There is hope that China will help tourism enterprises in Ethiopia become more resilient and learn to develop more sustainably.

Group photo of the moderator and the participating ambassadors

WTCF was initiated in Beijing in 2012 and is the host of the Conference. It is the first city-based international tourism organization in the world and adheres to a core concept of "Better City Life through Tourism," aiming to establish a platform for its members to exchange ideas, enhance cooperation, and reach a consensus.