Action Guide on Recovery and Revitalization of City Tourism amid COVID-19 Was Released

Chen Dong, Secretary-General of World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and Director-General of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, released the Action Guide on Recovery and Revitalization of City Tourism amid COVID-19

The World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development, one of the four summit forums of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), was held at the National Convention Center on September 5 in Beijing. At the conference, Chen Dong, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and Director-General of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, released the Action Guide on Recovery and Revitalization of City Tourism amid COVID-19 (hereinafter referred to as the “Action Guide”).

At present, COVID-19 is still prevalent. Before having a substantive breakthrough in the R&D of the coronavirus vaccine, the global pandemic prevention and control is full of uncertainties. Tourism is an important manifestation of modern civilization. Without extensive exchanges and mobility of people, social development will lose vitality. Against the backdrop of the continuous spread of the coronavirus, the coordination of the prevention and control of the pandemic and the revival of tourism requires wisdom, solidarity, consensus, coordination and joint response of the governments, tourism cities and companies, as well as international organizations. Chen Dong pointed out that the release of the Action Guide, which advocates putting life first and attaching equal importance to tourism resumption and pandemic prevention and control, is aimed at guiding the recovery and development of city tourism, and speeding up the construction of an operational mechanism that adapts to the pandemic prevention and control, so as to promote the recovery and development of city tourism in an orderly manner amid the pandemic.

The Action Guide has in-depth analysis in eight aspects, including comprehensively doing a good job in the prevention and control of the pandemic in tourism cities; coordinating and launching city tourism activities in an orderly manner; promoting the implementation of more proactive and effective incentive policies; enhancing international cooperation in pandemic prevention and control and tourism recovery; focusing on strengthening the building of the service platform of pandemic prevention and control information; boosting the construction of the emergency rescue system in tourism cities; promoting the innovation of city tourism models amid the pandemic, and promoting travel in greener and healthier ways. The Action Guide will serve as an action guideline for the recovery and development of the world’s city tourism. The document points out that in terms of pandemic prevention and control, tourism cities should always put the protection of lives and the health of citizens and tourists in the first place; give full play to the advantages of the infrastructure and public service platforms; seize key points in pandemic prevention and control; adopt strict pandemic screening and control measures; and formulate practical and feasible tourism recovery action plans to promote the overall recovery of city tourism in an orderly manner. For example, countries and cities where the pandemic has been basically controlled can adopt reservation system based on the pandemic situation, regions, and routes. Domestic and regional tourism can be reopened first, while outdoor low-density tourism could be a priority. In terms of incentive policies, governments all over the world should adopt relief policies such as tax reductions and exemptions, capital subsidies and financial support to help tourism companies tide over the difficulties, and maintain the basic integrity of the tourism industry and service system to the fullest extent possible. Tourism cities are encouraged to set up special funds for tourism recovery and development to provide support for tourism companies in tapping the international tourism market. Tourism companies should increase industry integration by establishing risk-sharing mechanisms and improving their ability to respond to various crises. In terms of international cooperation, in accordance with the global pandemic prevention and control situation, international cooperation should be comprehensively strengthened, and international conferences on tourism development should be held at appropriate times to jointly study the huge impact of the coronavirus outbreak on global tourism development, so as to actively promote the globalization of world tourism. In terms of platform building, tourism cities should actively cooperate with governments to establish a mechanism for the rapid collection, screening and feedback of pandemic prevention and control information and form a risk management and control mechanism which covers both individuals and the whole society. Tourism cities should attach great importance to the construction of tourism emergency rescue services system, and should establish a rapid response mechanism for various crises as well.

The Action Guide also mentioned that tourism cities should grasp the developmental trend of tourism in the post-epidemic era, while vigorously promoting the innovation of city tourism products, business, models and management by leveraging modern technology such as the Internet, big data, and smart technologies, for the better development of smart tourism and smart cities, and comprehensive improvement of the services, marketing and management level of tourism cities. The tourism industry and tourists should pay more attention to the safety of themselves and public safety. Travel codes of conduct that meet the requirements of pandemic prevention and control should be formulated, and more civilized and healthy ways of travel should be actively advocated. Tourism companies should strengthen self-discipline in market competition, energy conservation and environmental protection, emergency response, disease prevention and control, and food safety, and jointly create a tourism symbiosis ecosystem which covers the industry, the region and the world, promoting the green and sustainable development of world tourism.

During the release of the Action Guide, Chen Dong emphasized that “the tourism industry is a highly resilient and comprehensive industry. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted huge losses to world tourism, yet from a global perspective, the basic driver, market demand and service system of the world tourism still remain. The WTCF is confident in the rapid recovery of the global tourism industry after the pandemic. It is hoped that tourism cities and companies can have a good grasp of the development and changes of the global pandemic; focus on both the reviving of tourism and the pandemic prevention and control; actively promote the building of a community of shared health and future for mankind; jointly tide over the huge impact of COVID-19 on global tourism, and join hands to facilitate the recovery and a new round of revitalization of world tourism in a post-epidemic era!”