Global Tourism's New Era: Beijing Leads the Way for Chinese Cities on Both Competitiveness and Potential

On September 11th, the World Tourism Cities Federation successfully convened the World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development 2025 at Beijing’s Shougang Park. Centered on the theme “Smart Tourism for a Win-Win Future”, the event brought together more than six hundred delegates from sixty-six countries to discuss pathways for global tourism recovery and future trends. The conference also featured the release of two significant reports the “World Tourism Cities Development Report (2024-2025)” and the “World Tourism Destination Potential Competitive Index Report (2025)” delivering forward-looking analysis and strategic guidance for tourism policy, urban development, and investment worldwide.

Since 2014, the World Tourism Cities Federation has annually published the “World Tourism Cities Development Report”, establishing a scientific evaluation framework that serves as a key reference for urban tourism development globally. The newly introduced “World Tourism Destination Competitive Potential Index Report (2025)” further broadens the analytical scope by emphasizing future growth potential.

Together, these reports offer a comprehensive strategic guide for tourism decision-makers worldwide, delivering not only current insights but also foresight into emerging trends. They provide robust support for the recovery and transformation of the global tourism sector. As the industry steps into a new phase powered by digitalization, green development, and cultural integration, these publications also outline a clear path for Beijing and other Chinese cities to enhance their international tourism competitiveness.

World Tourism Destination Competitive Potential Index (2025): Beijing Ranks Top Five Worldwide, Powered by Culture and Innovation

A major highlight of the conference was the joint release by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) of the “World Tourism Destination Competitive Potential Index Report (2025)”. This visionary publication identifies and examines future "high-potential tourism cities", focusing specifically on the transition from latent resources to tangible competitive advantages.

Introducing the pioneering framework of "cities with competitive potential," the study establishes a comprehensive evaluation system across ten multidimensional indicators, specifically designed to assess emerging global destinations. More than just an analytical tool, the report provides actionable strategic guidance and clear implementation pathways for urban tourism development, already generating considerable discourse and engagement among international tourism stakeholders.

The concept of "cities with competitive potential" describes urban destinations that demonstrate either established leadership or rapid emergence in the global tourism landscape. These cities distinguish themselves through a proven capacity to sustainably attract and manage tourism development while simultaneously advancing long-term economic resilience, fostering innovation, and enhancing overall quality of life. Beyond their ability to attract international visitors, they excel in delivering high-quality tourism experiences that generate mutual value for both travelers and local residents.

In a keynote speech delivered at the conference by Mr. Peter Semone, Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), he highlighted that these cities represent the emerging force of global tourism sector. He emphasized that their competitive strength is defined not by the sheer number of visitors they attract, but by their exceptional capacity to provide deeply immersive, high-quality experiences that ensure mutual and sustainable benefits for both tourists and local communities.

This report offers a multidimensional assessment of cities worldwide, evaluating them across ten pivotal key indicators: cultural and natural attractions, infrastructure quality, policy environment, economic impact, smart tourism development, sustainability, livability, and safety. The results reveal Singapore ranking first globally, with Beijing ascending into the top five and Shanghai also achieving a prominent position at ninth, demonstrating the formidable and rising competitiveness of Chinese cities in the global tourism landscape.

The report identifies Beijing as one of the world’s most promising tourism destinations, a status built upon its unique fusion of profound cultural resources, modern infrastructure, and visionary development strategies. With eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, most recently including the Central Axis of Beijing. The city now holds more World Heritage designations than any other city globally. Beijing further distinguishes itself as the world’s only Dual Olympic City, having hosted both the Summer and Winter Games, a demonstration of its capacity to organize mega-events and attract visitors across all seasons.

The city’s recent embrace of visa facilitation policies, AI-driven tourism services, and green transition initiatives has further amplified its competitiveness on the global stage.

“As the host of the World Tourism Cities Federation and a prime example of a city with high potential, Beijing stands out by blending cultural preservation with technological innovation,” said Mr. Peter Semone in his speech. He praised Beijing for successfully “balancing deep historical legacy with forward-looking governance, which creates a model of urban tourism that both respects the past and actively shapes the future.”

In addition to Beijing, other front-running cities such as Singapore, Dubai, and Tokyo, the report identifies a shared blueprint for competitive excellence in urban tourism. These destinations exemplify world-class infrastructure, distinctive cultural appeal, enabling policy frameworks, advanced digital governance, and a firm commitment to sustainable development.

The report powerfully reinforces the principle that a city’s appeal to visitors is inextricably linked to its livability. It demonstrates that enduring tourism competitiveness arises from the seamless integration of cultural heritage with digital innovation, and the strategic alignment of event-driven economic growth with holistic urban development. Ultimately, the most promising destinations are those that prioritize the well-being and satisfaction of their own residents, proving that “a good place to live in is a great place to visit”.

To support cities in systematically enhancing their tourism competitiveness, the report introduces a comprehensive action framework comprising seven key steps. These include establishing science-based policy and governance mechanisms, developing distinctive local tourism products, implementing strategic branding and marketing, advancing sustainability and resilience-building, conducting competitive benchmarking, deepening regional and international collaboration, and fully embracing the “a good place to live in is a great place to visit” development philosophy. Furthermore, the report innovatively provides urban administrators with a tailored key performance indicator (KPI) system and a rapid self-assessment tool designed for practical implementation.

The release of the “World Tourism Destination Competitive Potential Index Report (2025)” marks the first systematic effort to define and evaluate “tourism cities with competitive potential” on a global scale. This provides a scientifically grounded and actionable roadmap for urban tourism development in a new era of competition. It offers particular value to Chinese cities, serving as a critical reference as they continue to enhance their international competitiveness and champion high-quality, sustainable tourism growth on the world stage.

World Tourism Cities Development Report (2024-2025): Beijing Ranks 7th Among Global Tourism Cities, Achieving a Dual Rise in Overall Ranking and Smart Tourism Development

The “World Tourism Cities Development Report (2024–2025)” was released by Mr. István Ujhelyi, Expert of the World Tourism Cities Federation and Ambassador of the UN Tourism. The report presents a systematic evaluation of one hundred representative tourism cities across 70 countries and regions. Its analytical framework assesses urban performance through six key dimensions: city popularity, industrial prosperity, city smart development, safety, economic impact, and tourists’ satisfaction. These are further elaborated through thirty-two sub-indices and sixty-one specific indicators. To ensure scientific rigor and international comparability, all indicator weights were determined using the Delphi method by a panel of global experts.

The report indicates that global tourism has experienced a comprehensive recovery. In 2024, total global tourist arrivals reached 14.2 billion, a year-on-year increase of 13.8%. Global tourism revenue recovered to $6.1 trillion USD in 2024, reaching 104.1% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels and representing 5.7% of global GDP. Mr. István Ujhelyi highlighted that the Asia-Pacific region led the recovery, with the Chinese market demonstrating particularly notable resurgence. Through measures such as expanded visa-free policies, extended duration of stay, and improved payment convenience, China has effectively stimulated the recovery of inbound tourism in key cities including Beijing and Shanghai.

The 2024–2025 Global Tourism Cities Index crowned New York, Tokyo, and Paris as the world’s top three urban destinations, reaffirming their enduring appeal among travelers. Chinese cities emerged as clear standouts in this year’s rankings: Beijing climbed to 7th place, up one spot from last year, while Shanghai secured 9th position and Hong Kong entered the list at 11th . The Asia-Pacific region claimed eight of the top twenty rankings, with three Chinese cities prominently featured a powerful testament to China’s rapidly expanding influence and competitiveness in global urban tourism.

Beijing demonstrated outstanding performance across multiple evaluation categories. It ranked third globally and first in the Asia-Pacific region for tourism safety, reflecting its exceptional capabilities in public security, emergency management, and medical response. Additionally, the city achieved a remarkable leap in smart tourism development, soaring from 26th to 6th place worldwide, a advancement driven by substantial investments in cultural digitization, digital infrastructure, and traveler-friendly entry policies. Notably, half of the global top ten cities in smart tourism are now from China, including Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Macao, and Hong Kong, forming a prominent "Chinese contingent" leading the future of intelligent travel worldwide.

The report also identifies emerging trends reshaping global tourism consumption: “nighttime tourism” is becoming a key gateway to urban cultural experiences; culturally meaningful souvenirs are reviving, driven by the evolving tastes of younger travelers; and interest-driven travel, dominated by Gen Z, is actively redefining market dynamics. At the same time, persistent challenges such as geopolitical tensions, safety concerns, overtourism, and service mismatches continue to evaluate the industry. In response, the report puts forward six strategic recommendations, including strengthening safety systems, deepening technology integration, tapping into cultural uniqueness, and refining service quality, to guide urban destinations toward high-quality and sustainable development.