On October 18, 2023, during the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (hereinafter referred to as the "Forum"), Yang Shuo, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), and Peter Semone, President of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during the Forum's Thematic Forum on Sub-national Cooperation. This MOU was included in the List of Practical Cooperation Deliverables of the Forum, a list incorporating a series of practical cooperation projects and bilateral cooperation agreements agreed upon by national governments, financial institutions, local governments, and enterprises.
On September 2, the World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development 2023 (hereinafter referred to as the "Conference"), hosted by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, kicked off at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. This Conference is one of the ten summit forums during the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services. Themed "New Trends, New Business Format, New Consumption: Jointly Creating the New Prosperity of Culture & Tourism," the Conference aims to drive world tourism cities to embrace new trends, seize new opportunities, adapt to new business formats, contribute to new forms of consumption, and work together to usher in a new era of shared prosperity with an innovative mindset, distinctive decisions, and creative practices.
For many years, the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) has been committed to leveraging tourism for promoting culture, fostering international exchanges, and enhancing friendships. It has established a series of branded events such as the "Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit", the "World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development", the "Forum on World Famous Cultural Tourism Cities", and "Regional Forums".
In May this year, the World Tourism Cities Federation Changsha Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2023 was successfully held in Changsha, China. The summit invited over 400 industry representatives from 37 countries and regions worldwide to gather in Changsha and discuss the revitalization and development of the global tourism industry. During the conference, representatives from five different cities and states, namely Samarkand, Uzbekistan; Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Machu Picchu, Peru; Kathmandu, Nepal; and Victoria, Seychelles, were interviewed by the "World Tourism Cities" magazine. They used this platform to promote their local tourism resources and envision the prospects for tourism development.
The "WTCF Changsha Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit 2023" was held in Changsha, China, from May 9th to 11th. With the theme "Gathering the Strength of Cities to Revitalize World Tourism", this summit attracted guests from 37 countries across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. More than 400 participants, including the World Tourism Cities Federation city and institutional members, representatives from media, renowned travel companies and investment institutions, gathered in this picturesque city to discuss the revival and development of the global tourism industry. They shared insights and collaborated on strategies from the entire tourism industry chain worldwide, thus embracing the wisdom and strength it offers.
ITB Berlin, the world's leading travel trade show, took place on March 7-9, 2023, in Berlin, with the theme "Open for Change". The 2023 fair was the first offline session of the event since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) participated for the seventh consecutive time as a co-host. Government officials, tourism destination managers, experts, scholars, senior tourism company executives, media outlets, and heads of international organizations from more than 180 countries and regions attended the event.
WTCF Latin America & the Caribbean Tourism Conference 2022 organized by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) was held online recently. Themed on "Promoting Resilient Development of Regional Tourism after the Pandemic," the conference included three parts, namely the opening ceremony, keynote speeches and the forum. More than 70 representatives from 12 countries and regions attended the event.
On the cusp of a new year, the globe is swept up in an expectant atmosphere. Party under massive fireworks in Toronto, catch a New Year concert in a Shanghai venue, count down to midnight with a grape-toting Madrid crowd, or head to Sapporo to hunt for that first beam of sunlight—here are four of the best places to be.
The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously impacted the development of the world tourism industry. In the post-pandemic era, how shall we accelerate the recovery of the tourism industry and stimulate the vitality of world tourism cities? The World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development 2022, hosted by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), was held at the China National Convention Center in Beijing on 1 September 2022. As one of the seven summit forums held during the 2022 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), the conference focused on the theme of "Deepening Cooperation and Innovation for Development" and attracted more than 300 delegates from 49 countries. At this grand in-person gathering, they shared their wisdom and plans for promoting the development of world tourism cities and the revitalization and prosperity of global tourism.
The year 2022 marks the tenth anniversary of the founding of the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF). Since its establishment, WTCF has been guided by the core vision of Better City Life through Tourism, and built an international organization providing a platform of exchange and cooperation for mutual benefit, with a view to build a community of shared future for mankind through tourism.
