Promoting Sustainable City Tourism: Innovation and Enhancement – WTCF Wellington Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2024 to Kick off Soon

The World Tourism Cities Federation Wellington Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2024 (hereinafter referred to as the "Summit"), co-hosted by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and Wellington City Council, is scheduled to be held from April 21 to 24 in Wellington, New Zealand. Themed "Promoting Sustainable City Tourism: Innovation and Enhancement," the Summit seeks to explore the paths for the global tourism industry's innovative development in the new era. It further aims to take Wellington, the host city, as an exemplary city to uncover insights into and solutions for the sustainable development of city tourism.

Notably, the Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit will be held in Oceania for the first time since WTCF's establishment 12 years ago. This event will further contribute to WTCF's global influence across five continents, showcasing the organization's steadfast determination and expansive vision in promoting the development of global tourism.

International Focuses from Diverse Perspectives

At the Summit, nearly 400 individuals, including representatives from international tourism organizations, government officials from various countries, industrial leaders, and experts and scholars, will gather from about 40 countries and regions. They will engage in discussions on the sustainable development of city tourism, share innovative practices and successful cases, and offer diverse perspectives to foster the sustainable development of global city tourism.

Sima Hong, the Vice Mayor of Beijing and the Executive Vice Chairman of WTCF Council, Nicola Willis, New Zealand's Minister of Finance, Minister for the Public Service, and Minister for Social Investment, Viliame Rogoibulu Gavoka, Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Tory Whanau, the Mayor of Wellington, and other distinguished guests will attend the opening ceremony and deliver speeches. The Summit will also feature a ceremony to welcome new members of WTCF. Fares Braizat, Mayor of Petra, representing the new members, will be invited to speak at this ceremony.

In addition, Yang Shuo, WTCF's Secretary-General, as well as a Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, a representative from China Southern Air Holding Co., Ltd., and a representative from Alibaba Group will also share their views and expound their opinions in the section "Keynote Speech".

The Oceania Tourism Forum will also be held during this year's forum, aiming to explore new approaches, routes and strategies for the sustainable development of the tourism industry in Oceania. Additionally, two panel discussions are scheduled, which will invite industrial experts to delve into the themes "Tourist Cities: Heritage Preservation and Urban Renewal" and "Tourist Cities: Diversified Integration and Innovative Development". The panel discussions will focus on seamlessly integrating culture and technologies with tourism to enrich tourism resources and preserve cultural heritage, thereby contributing to continuous innovation and development of the tourism sector.

In-depth Analysis Provided by a Research Report

Moreover, the latest research outcome World Tourism Economy Trends Report 2024, co-authored by WTCF and the Tourism Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, will be released during the summit. The report offers a panoramic review of the global tourism economy's recovery in 2023 through analysis of data. Based on the development of key cities, core industries, and tourism companies, it provides a thorough analysis of the industry's future trends, opportunities and challenges, providing policymakers and stakeholders with references and theoretical support for making decisions.

Building Bridges for Tourism Cooperation

At the International Tourism Fair, a significant warm-up event for the Summit, the signing ceremony of MOUs, tourism showcase events featuring China and New Zealand, panel discussions, B2B talks, and more will be rolled out. These sub-events will establish cooperative ties among 20 prominent Chinese travel agencies, numerous WTCF members, and tourism companies from New Zealand and the rest of Oceania, and provide opportunities to explore innovative business models and new markets. This is of great importance in advancing the matchmaking and development of high-quality cultural and tourism resources worldwide, as well as in promoting the release of the tourism industry's growth potential.

Sustainable city tourism encompasses not only economic prosperity but also crucial aspects like cultural heritage and ecological conservation. This year's Summit will further amplify the model-driven effect of the Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit, form new initiatives, agendas and actions, and provide conceptual, technical and model support for the sustainable development of the global tourism industry.

Founded in 2012, WTCF is the world's first international tourism organization focusing on cities under the initiative of Beijing. WTCF has now grown into an international tourism organization with a total of 246 members from 86 countries and regions, including 164 city members, 82 associate members and institutional members as well as six sub-committees covering six major sectors: experts, civil aviation, tourism-related businesses, media organizations, cruise industry, and investment, respectively. After years of development and its growing appeal, improved services and guidance, and enhanced influence in the tourism industry, WTCF is credited as the fastest-growing international tourism organization in the world. As WTCF's annual international brand event, the Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit has matured into a comprehensive platform for the tourism industry, enabling its members to exchange experiences, reinforce cooperation, boost the economy, and build consensus.