Major changes mark UN industry summit in Sichuan capital

Other landmark decisions include two China-led initiatives that will shape sector in years to come

Major changes recently took place at the United Nations World Tourism Organization summit in Chengdu, including the appointment of its next leader, the release of the Chengdu Initiative on Tourism Cooperation along the Belt and Road and the founding of the World Tourism Organization.

The decisions were made at the 22nd UNWTO General Assembly in mid-September, which will shape the massive international tourism sector going forward.

The assembly is the largest and most successful gathering in UNWTO's history, its Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said.

The highest-level meeting in the international tourism community attracted more than 1,000 delegates from 137 countries and regions, as well as 41 international organizations. It is the first time that the UNWTO general assembly has taken place in western China.

During the event, Zurab Pololikashvili, the current ambassador of Georgia to Spain, Morocco, Algeria and Andorra, was appointed the new UNWTO chief for 2018-21.

Pololikashvili said the number of the participants in this year's general assembly doubled that of last year's, a record level in UNWTO's history.

This year's assembly witnessed the founding of the World Tourism Alliance, a comprehensive nonprofit and global tourism NGO initiated by China.

With its headquarters and secretariat in Beijing, the new alliance has 89 founding members.

These include leading international tourist companies, trade associations, think tanks, international leaders and noted scholars from various countries such as the United States, France, Germany, Australia, South Africa, Japan and Brazil.

Duan Qiang, board chairman of the Beijing Tourism Group, was elected the first chairman of the alliance.

"As China is shifting from a large tourism market to being a powerhouse in the sector, the timing is perfect to found the alliance," Duan said.

The WTA will increase its membership in the near future. As Chengdu has a wealth of tourism resources and flourishing businesses, outstanding travel companies and organizations stand a high chance of becoming targets for the WTA's recruitments, he said.

The new alliance is in close cooperation with UNWTO, Duan noted.

This year's UNWTO assembly endorsed the Chengdu Initiative on Tourism Cooperation along the Belt and Road.

The document aims to promote tourism cooperation among countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, increase policy-related communications to facilitate travel, and improve the quality of exchanges.

It also calls for joint tourism promotion, increased exchanges in tourism education and coordination in dealing with tourism risks and other common challenges.

Rifai said the ancient Silk Road was key to people-to-people exchanges, and the modern Belt and Road Initiative has brought golden development opportunities to tourism.

Tourism cooperation needs to focus on transportation, visa policies, service standardization and safety, he said.

Pololikashvili said that he expects the UN organization to hold another large event in Chengdu soon, which will focus on tourism cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Li Jinzao, head of the China National Tourism Administration, said: "The Belt and Road routes span across the world's most famous civilizations and religions in the West and the East," Li said.

"It covers three types of economies - developed countries, developing countries and underdeveloped countries - and links major tourist destinations and sources worldwide," he added.

"The scale of tourism (revenue) in the Belt and Road countries and regions contributes more than 70 percent to the world's total."

The tourism cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative will enable various countries to leverage their resources and potential, and increase the influence of the tourist destinations, he said.

Reciprocal tourism between China and the countries and regions along the Silk Road has topped 25 million visits annually, according to the CNTA chief.

He forecast that China would see about 700 million outbound visits over the next five years.

Li said he believes that the country will be able to attract 700 million visits from international visitors during the period.

(China Daily 09/28/2017 page10)