Yan Han: Connectivity a natural attribute of tourism

Deputy Secretary-General of the WTCF Yan Han delivers a keynote speech on “Cross-Border Fusion - Key to Convenience, Profits and Sustainable Development”.

Deputy Secretary-General of the WTCF Yan Han delivers a keynote speech on “Cross-Border Fusion - Key to Convenience, Profits and Sustainable Development”.

The eighth UNWTO/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook was held in Guilin city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, from October 13 to October 15, during which experts discussed issues concerning how to develop tourism in a profitable and sustainable way.

Yan Han, deputy secretary-general of the WTCF (World Tourism Cities Federation), addressed the opening ceremony of the forum with a speech elaborating on the converged development of the tourism industry.

Yan said that the important role played by tourism in economic, social and environmental development should be given high priority. He said that connectivity is a natural attribute of tourism. “We shall continuously integrate and improve the industrial chain of tourism and create platforms for connection and communication,” Yan said. He said that the tourism industry should be connected by sharing experiences among counterparts, and they should connect with tourists more directly by means of new technology. Yan’s remarks were applauded by the attendees.

The attendees also raised many questions and discussed the Handbook on Outbound Consumption for Chinese Citizens and other reports launched at the 2014 WTCF Summit.

Around 200 delegates attended this forum, including officials from the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization), PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) and HKPU (Hong Kong Polytechnic University); tourism experts and scholars; government officials of the National Tourism Administration and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region; corporate executives and journalists from major media outlets.

Yan Han is interviewed by the press.