Reshaping World Tourism & Promoting Sustainable Development — World Tourism Cities Federation Changsha Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2022 Is Coming Soon

The WTCF Changsha Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2022 will be held at Changsha Tongguan Macrolink Legend Hotel in Changsha City from 2 to 4 November. The Summit will be hosted by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and the People's Government of Changsha, and organized by Changsha Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio and TV, in cooperation with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The theme of this year's Summit is "Reshaping World Tourism & Promoting Sustainable Development." It will include several sections including the Special Forum of Ambassadors, the Keynote Speech, the International Communication Forum on World Tourism Cities, the Meeting on International Tourist Destinations, the Tourism B2B Matching and the Tourism Investment Promotion Conference.

In 2022, the recovery of the world tourism industry is fraught with difficulties due to multiple factors. In this context, it is crucial to transform the mode of tourism development and promote the sustainable development of tourism. The Summit will provide an exchange and sharing platform for world tourism cities, where they can discuss new trends and paths for the development of tourism cities. In the Keynote Speech section, representatives from embassies and consulates in China, relevant travel agencies and enterprises, and industry-related experts will work together to assess the current new trends in tourism development and explore how to spur digital tourism development. Additionally, they will, from the perspectives of "cultural tourism +", "new consumption" and others, analyze the current situation and practices regarding the tourism development in the host city of Changsha, hoping to provide referential experiences for other tourism cities.

This year's Summit will also continue to promote world tourism resources and boost tourism cooperation among countries. WTCF will invite ambassadors to China from numerous countries to attend the Special Forum of Ambassadors. Focusing on the topic of "Promoting Sustainable Development of World Tourism through Cooperation", they will share their views and discuss solutions. Meanwhile, three sections, namely the Meeting on International Tourist Destinations, the Tourism B2B Matching and the Tourism Investment Promotion Conference, will also provide matchmaking opportunities for all parties to realize win-win cooperation.

The COVID-19 pandemic plaguing the globe has brought severe challenges to the sustainable development of world tourism cities. In this context, WTCF and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have, based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), conducted research on WTCF's member cities in China. The result of the Sustainable Development of World Tourism Cities Amid the Pandemic - China Action Study will be released during the Summit. WTCF and UNDP hope that China's experience sharing in the report will contribute to the recovery of urban tourism in the post-pandemic era.

WTCF is the world's first city-centered international tourism organization initiated by Beijing. Its Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit has been developed into a comprehensive platform in the tourism industry for WTCF's member cities and institutions to promote exchanges, strengthen cooperation, boost economic growth and build consensus. So far, nine editions of the event have been successfully held. This year, WTCF will continue to leverage the role of the Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit, providing its 237 members and global stakeholders with an auspicious opportunity to share industry information and enhance the sustainable development of world tourism.