【Summit Senior Figures Interview】Interview with Xu Jing, Director-Executive Secretary of the General Assembly and the Executive Council of UNWTO: Shared Economy’s Influence on Tourism Industry Is Revolutionary

Xu Jing, Director-Executive Secretary of the General Assembly and the Executive Council of UNWTO, was interviewed by the media during the Summit. He provided opinions on the development of shared economy and city tourism.

Xu Jing believed that shared economy depends on the big platform of the Internet and it is a product of global economic integration. It influences more than the tourism industry and it is the trend of overall economic development. For the tourism industry, development of shared economy should not be considered as a transformation, but as a continuation from one operation model to a more sophisticated operation model. People see a lot of tourism activities related to shared economy now, which is due to the application of modern technologies in the economy and tourism industry, especially Internet technology. Travel is absolutely different than before. Tourists used to make reservations in a travel agency, a shop, or a hotel. Nowadays, mobile bookings are common. People use cellular phones to complete each process of tourism. The operation mode is changed, and the behavior and thought of consumers are influence. Consumers get information feedback via the digital platform. Shared economy’s influence on the tourism industry is profound and revolutionary.

Mr. Xu said, this revolutionary change brought by shared economy will impact China greatly. Consumers will gradually be free from the monopoly and influence of providers. The most important providers used to be hotels, travel agencies and coaches and it is different now. Thousands of households can participate in this business, and provide service and products for tourism.

Mr. Xu said this was the first time he attended the Summit. He cared about two points about the Summit this year: city to tourism, and tourism to city. The tourism industry is very important for the city, which can be embodied precisely in the motto of WTCF: Better City Life through Tourism.

“What one city can contribute to the whole tourism industry? It sounds like an easy question. However, some cites have done well while some cities need to improve. On the other side, tourism is an important part of a city. Many cities can not realize its existence and beauty until some outsiders come. Meanwhile, many cities try to beautify themselves to develop tourism. The two aspects promote each other. That is what I care about most as a participant.”

About the hosting city, Mr. Xu said it was the third time he came to Chongqing. He came and went in haste in the past. Chongqing is a metropolitan with comprehensive resources. It has all the necessary elements of a tourism destination. This is the only city in the world with two big rivers flowing through. It has not only natural resources, but also cultural and historical resources. Meanwhile, Chongqing is the hub of a large area. Tourists in Chongqing can enjoy the city, as well southwest of the city and other places. Therefore, if Chongqing wants to attract international tourist, it must remember that what is local is what is global. It should focus on the unique resources of the city and develop related products. Besides that, Chongqing has implemented a 72-hours visa-free policy for 51 countries. I believe Chongqing will undoubtedly become an important tourism destination and tourism source in the world under these favorable conditions.

It was the fifth anniversary of WTCF. As an official of UNWTO, Mr. Xu said, “WTCF highlights city tourism and the relationship between tourism and the city, which is also very important for UNWTO. Much of what we do now can be associated closely with city tourism. From the major premise, what UNWTO advocates is just sustainable development of tourism. Therefore, UN has declared 2017 as International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. We hope to achieve Great Harmony and peace of the world via tourism. We hope to deepen friendship via tourism.”