The Dual Sections Showcase the New Charm of Culture and Tourism, the First International Standard Fills the Gap: The WTCF Promotion Conference of Tourism Resources 2025 was Successfully Held

　　On the morning of September 10th, the WTCF Promotion Conference of Tourism Resources 2025, hosted by the World Tourism Cities Federation, was held in the lecture hall on the fifth floor of Jingyan Hotel in Beijing. This promotion conference, as an important side event of the World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development 2025, aims to facilitate the display of international tourism resources, the exchange of experiences and practical cooperation. Representatives from tourist cities, industry experts and enterprises from multiple countries and regions in Asia, Europe, America and so on gathered together to share high-quality tourism resources and promote international tourism cooperation and exchanges. The promotion conference is divided into three sessions: “See a Different World”, “See a Different Beijing”, and “The ‘Brand Evaluation – Tourism City’ International Standard Promotion”. Through multi-dimensional promotion and dialogue, the conference has provided a high-quality communication platform for the global tourism industry.

　　“See a Different World”: Diverse Cultural and Tourism Resources Jointly Paint a Global Picture 

　　As the world’s first international tourism organization with cities as the main body, the WTCF currently has 257 members and is always committed to building an efficient platform and promoting international cooperation. In the “See a Different World” session, nine representatives from member cities of the WTCF and well-known tourist destinations took the stage in turn to share the tourism resources, cultural characteristics and development strategies of their respective cities.

　　Ruslan Zanabayev, director of Marketing and Analysis at the Almaty Tourism Bureau, Kazakhstan, said that Kazakhstan receives over 2 million tourists annually, including more than 100,000 Chinese tourists. Almaty has complete tourism facilities and abundant resources, and is continuously improving its reception capacity and service quality.

　　In terms of cultural heritage protection and sustainable development, Alexandros Modiano, chairman of the West-East Urban Governance Institute, Greece, proposed that Athens enhances social cohesion through infrastructure investment and cultural innovation, actively responds to climate challenges, and is committed to building an “open, inclusive and sustainable” urban image. Rabindra Rijal, senior engineer at the Heritage and Tourism Department of Kathmandu, Nepal, shared the city’s balanced strategy in the protection of world cultural heritage and tourism development, emphasizing the sustainable way of culture inheritance and tourism development. Martin Laventure, councilor of Punta del Este, Uruguay, said that the local area has responded to tourists’ demands for in-depth cultural experiences and natural healing. “The emerging tourism formats cover health, wellness and cultural activities, and deeply integrate technology with the concept of sustainable development.”

　　Miodrag Popovic, CEO of Tourist Organization of Belgrade, Serbia, said that Belgrade is taking advantage of the opportunity of hosting the 2027 World Expo to continuously improve its tourism experience and facilities, showcasing its multicultural charm and development potential. Rujira Arin, deputy director of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Department of Bangkok, Thailand, emphasized that Bangkok is vigorously promoting the development of creative areas, coordinating the development of art, cultural heritage and business, while actively promoting low-carbon tourism and smart services to enhance the tourist experience.

　　In terms of the integration of natural ecology and cultural tourism, Malitkov Arsem, an expert from the Kyrgyzstan Economic and Commercial Department’s China Business Representative Office, introduced that Bishkek, relying on the natural scenery of the Tianshan Mountains and the cultural heritage of the Silk Road, is building a core hub for adventure and eco-tourism. Yang Jing, deputy director of the Cultural, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau of Jilin City, China, said that Jilin City holds nearly 100 cultural and tourism events on average each year and launches over 10,000 kinds of cultural and creative products, continuously invigorating the city's cultural and tourism vitality. Qiao Lisha, chief of the Exchange and Cooperation Section of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Nyingchi City, China, said that Nyingchi, relying on its ecological and cultural advantages as the “Jiangnan of Xizang”, has achieved an organic combination of ecological tourism and ethnic culture through brand projects such as the Peach Blossom Festival and the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon.

　　The “Brand Evaluation – Tourism City” International Standard: Global Tourist Cities Have a "Universal Language" of Brand Building

　　At the promotion, Shen Xiaoyu, director of the Research and Training Department of the WTCF, comprehensively interpreted the world’s first international standard for “Brand Evaluation - Tourism City”. This standard was led by the WTCF in its formulation and was approved by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in early 2025. It is the first time to regulate the brand building of tourism cities in the form of an international standard, filling the gap in this field.

　　The formulation of this international standard took three years and went through multiple rounds of discussions and revisions by the joint working group of ISO/TC228 and ISO/TC289. Eventually, it was jointly completed by experts from nine countries including China, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Russia. The standard consists of 8 first-level indicators and 53 second-level indicators, establishing a comprehensive evaluation system from multiple dimensions such as tourism resources, infrastructure, service convenience, environmental sustainability, safety, stakeholder evaluation, number of tourists, and financial performance, providing scientific and unified brand-building guidance for global tourist cities.

　　The promotion and application of this standard will have a profound influence on promoting the high-quality development of the global tourism industry. On the one hand, it guides tourist cities to shift from developing individual scenic spots to building an overall brand, strengthening cultural cores and distinctive experiences, and helping cities form differentiated competitiveness in the global market. On the other hand, by standardizing resource utilization, optimizing service quality and enhancing the tourist experience, it promotes the refined and connotative development of the city, laying a foundation for the long-term prosperity of the industry.

　　“See a Different Beijing”: The Ancient Capital’s New Look Coexists with Digital and Smart Cultural Tourism

　　In recent years, Beijing’s culture and tourism industry has developed comprehensively in multiple dimensions, deeply integrating the achievements of digital and intelligent innovation, and demonstrating the cultural charm of a modern international metropolis. In the “See a Different Beijing” session, four representatives of Beijing’s tourism industry professionally interpreted and promoted Beijing’s culture and tourism resources from four dimensions: “Ancient Charm of Beijing”, “Everyday Life in Beijing”, “Dynamic Beijing”, and “Artistic Beijing”, presenting the new tourism image of Beijing as a modern international metropolis.

　　Ancient Beijing has been rejuvenated with its historical and cultural heritage organically blending with modern life. He Liyan, a tour guide from China Travel Service Head Office (Beijing) Co., LTD., with the theme of “Ancient Charm of Beijing”, interpreted the organic integration of historical protection and urban renewal in Beijing through cultural heritages such as the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the Central Axis, and demonstrated the vitality of the ancient capital culture in contemporary times.

　　The everyday life in Beijing is distinct and the tourism leisure streets have formed diverse consumption experience scenarios. Lin Yi, senior consultant of Beijing Capital Tourism Development Co., LTD., focuses on “Everyday Life in Beijing”, taking hutongs, tea houses and time-honored delicacies as clues to restore a city’s appearance full of human warmth and the flavor of life, highlighting the interwoven traditional and modern city culture of Beijing.

　　Dynamic Beijing is empowered by digital intelligence while innovative technologies are driving the upgrading of culture and tourism. Wang Kexin, gold medal tour guide from U-tour Group Co., LTD., introduced modern landmarks such as the CBD, Olympic Park, science and technology park and art district from the perspective of “Dynamic Beijing”, emphasizing the innovative upgrading of the culture and tourism industry in Beijing empowered by digital and intelligent technology.

　　The construction of Artistic Beijing is accelerating and the charm of the city of culture and sports is in play. Liu Yang, tour guide from CYTS International Travel Co., LTD., presented the National Centre for the Performing Arts, the 798 Art District and various performance and exhibition activities from the perspective of “Artistic Beijing”, pointing out that Beijing is accelerating the construction of a “City of Performing Arts”. In addition, as a “dual-Olympic city”, sports have become an important name card of Beijing’s urban culture. Liu Yang introduced a unique Olympic heritage tourism route, where sports facilities and urban landscapes are organically integrated, providing tourists with immersive sports experiences and showcasing the unique charm of Beijing as an international sports center city.