WTCF to Attend ITB Berlin Convention and Hold a Panel Discussion

The ITB Berlin Convention, the world's largest and most influential tourism expo, will be held at Messegelände Berlin in Germany from 5 to 7 March 2024. The World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), as a co-host of the event for seven consecutive sessions, will attend this year's convention and hold a panel discussion titled "New Development Trends in China's Tourism Market."

Esecan, a special advisor to the Secretary-General of WTCF, will attend the opening ceremony and deliver a speech summarizing the recovery of the tourism industry in 2023 and looking ahead to the innovative development of the tourism industry in 2024. At the panel discussion, Wang Shoutao, Counselor of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Germany, will make an opening address. Cui Hua, Deputy Director of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, will give a keynote speech. Lorena Villar, Senior Project Specialist of the Tourism Market Intelligence & Competitiveness of UN Tourism, will release a research report titled Quantifying Tourism in City Destinations: Towards a Better Understanding of Urban Tourism. Subsequently, the attendees will discuss centered on the "New Development Trends in China's Tourism Market".

Agenda for WTCF's Panel Discussion at ITB Berlin Convention 2024

Date: March 5

Venue: Hall 7.1, Orange Stage

16:45-16:50

Opening address by Wang Shoutao, Councilor, Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Germany

16:50-16:55

Keynote speech by Cui Hua, Deputy Director, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism

Theme: Enhancing Beijing Internationalized Tourism Services to Create a World-class Tourist City

16:55-17:05

Keynote speech by Lorena Villar, Senior Project Specialist, Tourism Market Intelligence & Competitiveness, UN Tourism

Theme: Quantifying Tourism in City Destinations: Towards a Better Understanding of Urban Tourism, a research report jointly completed by UN Tourism and WTCF

17:05-17:35

Panel discussion on "New Development Trends in China's Tourism Market"

Host:

Richard Matuzevich, Senior Manager of WTCF

Panelists:

1. Ralf Ostendorf, Director of Market Management, Visit Berlin

2. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, FRGS FRAS, CEO of COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, CEO of Meaningful Tourism Center

3. Philip Dickinson, Director of International Markets, Qatar Tourism

4. Alan Song, Deputy General Manager of International Department, CYTS International Travel