WTCF Press Conference Held in Beijing

At noon on September 14, 2012, the WTCF committee held the press conference at the National Conference Center and announced the preparations, arrangement and relative information of the WTCF to the media and public.

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The Director of the Beijing Tourism Development Committee and Secretary General of the WTCF, Mr. Ren Luyong, said at the conference that the emblem and flag of the WTCF was approved at the first conference on the morning of September 14 and the Beijing Declaration was discussed and signed.

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According to the regulations, members of the board of directors were approved. The mayor of Beijing, Mr. Wang Anshun, was elected the first president of the board of directors in the meeting. The secretariat was founded and Mr. Ren Luyong was elected as the Secretary General.

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The WTCF was advocated by Beijing and co-organized by many international tourism cities. It is a non-profit international non-government organization and the first global international tourism city with cities being the subjects. The WTCF focuses on "Tourism Makes City Life Better" and is devoted to promoting the communication and cooperation between member cities, sharing the experience of tourism development, exploring issues on city tourism development, strengthening the cooperative development of the tourism market, enhancing the tourism development level and pushing the coordinated development of international tourism cities’ economies and society.

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The initiation and foundation of the WTCF earns a high concern and positive evaluation of the world’s three largest tourism organizations, which are the UNWTO, WTTC and PATA. Secretary General of the UNWTO, Mr. Taleb Rifai, CEO of the WTTC, Mr. David Scowsill, and CEO of the PATA, Mr. Ma Tian, wrote to the WTCF separately to express their congratulations. The foundation of the WTCF also earns support from international well-known tourism cities and famous domestic tourism cities in China. The Secretary General of the UNTWO mentioned the core belief "Tourism Makes City Life Better" of the WTCF plays a unique, important and significant role in promoting a wide agreement on the importance of international tourism cities to tourism. Mr. Ma Tian, CEO of the PATA said, “We believe that the WTCF will be active in following its core belief "Tourism Makes City Life Better" by means of joining tourism cities, organizations and individuals together. The WTCF is sure to promote the social and economic progress of international tourism cities and the establishment and extension of the local brand of tourism destinations via a series of rich cooperation and communication.” The CEO of the WTTC, Mr. David Scowsill, expressed that he believes the WTCF will establish a high platform for the communication between tourism cities and will further enhance the mutual communications between tourism cities in the near future.

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According to the introduction of Mr. Ren Luyong, the committee established the operation mechanism of the WTCF and much working strength has been provided. In addition, the news center was also established to provide convenience and help as much as possible for both domestic and overseas media friends at the World Tourism Cities Expo, the Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit and the foundation meeting of the WTCF.

Up to now, there are in total 58 first-tier city members and non-city members:

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City members from abroad (24): Amsterdam (Netherlands), Barcelona (Spain), Berlin (Germany), Brussels (Belgium), Budapest (Hungary), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Cairo (Egypt), Dubai (UAE), Dublin (Ireland), Busan (Korea), Kwangju (Korea), Jakarta (Indonesia), Lisbon (Portugal), Los Angeles (America), Moscow (Russia), Ottawa (Canada), Riga (Latvia), Rome (Italy), Sapporo (Japan), Seoul (Korea), Tel Aviv (Israel), Victoria (Seychelles), Vienna (Austria), and Minsk (The Republic of Belarus)

Observer city (1): London (UK)

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Domestic city members (22): Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Taiyuan, Dalian, Mudanjiang, Harbin, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Qingdao, Luoyang, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Kunming, Xi’an, Zhangjiajie, Altay, Jiaozuo.

Two special administration regions: Hong Kong, Macao.

Non-city members (11): Air China, China International Travel Service Limited, China Travel Service, China Youth Travel Service, Beijing Tourism Group, Japan Travel Bureau, Kempinski Hotels S. A., Germany TUI group, American Tours International, America Asia Travel center, and Beijing International Travels and Tours.