WTCF Taiyuan Forum on World Famous Cultural Tourism Cities 2023 Opens

On September 4, WTCF Taiyuan Forum on World Famous Cultural Tourism Cities 2023 (hereinafter referred to as the "Forum") kicked off in Taiyuan. With the theme "Promoting Development of Cultural Tourism Industry and Building World Famous Cultural Tourism Cities", the Forum was jointly hosted by the CPC Taiyuan Municipal Committee, Taiyuan Municipal People's Government, Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF). Taiyuan Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism served as the organizer.

The Forum consists of a section for keynote speeches, a section for the release of research outcomes, a special forum, a section for thematic speeches, a tourism B2B matching event, and a field study tour. Over 300 participants attended the Forum, including representatives from more than 20 foreign embassies in China, mayors of WTCF's member cities, representatives of international organizations, heads of tourism groups, experts of the cultural tourism industry, and representatives of well-known media agencies. All attendees gathered in the city of Taiyuan to explore the integration of urban tourism and culture, discuss new demands and new trends in global tourism development, and contribute wisdom and energy to the global tourism industry.

Wei Tao, a Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Taiyuan Municipal Committee, delivers a speech.

Wei Tao, a Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Taiyuan Municipal Committee, extended a warm welcome to all the guests in his speech. He emphasized the symbiosis and integration of culture and tourism, with culture being the essence and tourism serving as the carrier. In recent years, Taiyuan has conscientiously implemented directives from the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee, prioritizing the development of cultural tourism as both a strategic pillar industry and a way to improve the well-being of the locals. Taiyuan has spared no efforts in integrating its resources into the cultural and tourism sectors and actively worked on establishing the national 5A-level Jinci Tianlong Mountain Scenic Area and the national-level Taiyuan Ancient County Tourism and Leisure Block. The city has also tailored various routes for tourists with different needs, and accelerated the integration of diverse formats such as health and wellness tourism, red tourism, rural tourism, and educational tourism. All these efforts aim to create new and innovative offerings in the "culture tourism+" sector. Furthermore, Taiyuan has focused on enhancing the tourism experience and improving facilities in all aspects covering accommodation, dining, transportation, shopping, and entertainment. The city is dedicated to improving its supporting services and elevating management standards. Currently, Taiyuan has entered a fast track of building itself into an important cultural tourism destination for both Chinese and foreign tourists, striving to usher into a new chapter in the comprehensive tourism development of Taiyuan in this new era.

Xiong Jijun, Vice Governor of Shanxi Province, delivers a speech.

Xiong Jijun, Vice Governor of Shanxi Province, greeted all the guests with warm words. He stated that Shanxi is rich in historic and cultural heritage which makes it a shining pearl with unique brilliance. Visiting Shanxi is like traveling through different times of China, for it allows you to stroll through a "gallery" of the 5,000-year-old civilization. Xiong expressed his sincere hope that WTCF and all the guests would take a closer look at Shanxi, take a tour here in person, and promote its culture to the world. He called for the attendees to become partners, allies, and advocates for the development of Shanxi's cultural tourism, and share with the rest of the world the wonderful stories of Shanxi.

José Luis Sanz Ruiz, Mayor of Seville, Spain, delivers a speech.

José Luis Sanz Ruiz, Mayor of Seville, Spain, expressed in his speech that sustainable tourism is the fundamental pillar in building world cultural tourism cities. "In Seville, we are committed to making tourism an engine for development without sacrificing natural resources or the quality of life for citizens. We prioritize responsibility, aiming to minimize the impact of tourism on the ecological environment and show respect for the city and its surroundings."

Yang Shuo, Secretary-General of WTCF, delivers a speech.

Yang Shuo, Secretary-General of WTCF, said in his speech that the World Famous Cultural Tourism Cities Forum serves as a vital platform for exchanges and cooperation among tourism cities around the world, which aims to enhance cultural exchanges between cities, promote mutual learning about world civilizations, and create internationally renowned cultural tourism city brands. The Forum this year focuses on the theme of "Promoting Development of Cultural Tourism Industry and Building World Famous Cultural Tourism Cities". It highlights the importance of creating historical and cultural city brands and encourages the exploration of optimal solutions for the integration of cultural resources and the development of the tourism sector in tourism cities, providing a platform for the joint discussion of new initiatives for the prosperity of the cultural tourism sector in world-famous cultural cities.

Regarding the organization and development of the World Famous Cultural Tourism Cities Forum, Yang offered five recommendations: continuously deepening cultural exchanges and mutual learning; continuously exploring new ways to express and promote culture; delving deeper into distinctive regional cultural tours; enhancing the competitiveness of the urban-centric cultural tourism sector; and drawing on scientifically effective experiences to drive the development of famous cultural tourism cities.

Release of the Report on Cultural Brand Building and Image Dissemination of Tourism Cities

Later that morning, Professor Ding Peiyi, WTCF expert and a Fellow of Griffith Institute for Tourism at Griffith University in Australia, released the Report on Cultural Brand Building and Image Dissemination of Tourism Cities.

The special forum themed "Exchanges & Mutual Learning among Civilizations and Building of World-Famous Cultural Tourism Cities"

During the special forum, discussions centered around "Exchanges & Mutual Learning among Civilizations and Building of World-Famous Cultural Tourism Cities" were carried out. The participants included Tefera Derbew Yimam, the Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to China; Pedzisai Peter Mwayera, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in China; Tian Ning, General Manager of CAISSA PROSPECT (Beijing) Business Travel Management Co., Ltd; Wang Chaoyang, Chief Architect of Digital Culture Lab, Sustainable Social Value Dept., Tencent; and Liu Da, Executive Director of Beijing BIG Tourism Development Co., Ltd. They all engaged in in-depth discussions, sharing insights on new developments in cultural tourism and exploring new pathways for the building of world-famous cultural tourism cities.

WTCF is the first city-oriented international tourism organization in the world. It now has a total of 242 members, covering 85 countries and regions, and is credited as the world's fastest-growing international tourism organization.