China.org.cn: Reboot of China's tourism brings hope to the world

A conference was held Saturday in Beijing during the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) to provide support for global tourism professionals in reviving the industry.

Release time : 2020-09-08 15:05:49

source : China.org.cn

A conference was held Saturday in Beijing during the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) to provide support for global tourism professionals in reviving the industry.

The World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development is an important meeting which promotes multilateral cooperation, bolsters global tourism and enhances the influence of 2020 CIFTIS amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the most serious global public health crisis after World War II.

Tourism has been "one of the most affected sectors of the economy due to the pandemic," according to Vladimir Norov, secretary-general of Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), shared data to illustrate the seriousness of the situation. "Travel and tourism contribute 330 million jobs around the world. According to our latest research from June, 121 million jobs have been impacted and there are $3.4 trillion tourism GDP losses to the world economy so far."

However, China has led the way in controlling the spread of the virus and its national economy is gradually reopening, said Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). "The lifting of travel restrictions gives hope to millions of people — both in China and worldwide."

As one of four summit forums during the 2020 CIFTIS, the World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development hosted by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) was held at the China National Convention Center. The theme of the conference was "Rebuilding World Tourism for Prosperity."

Hu Heping, Minister of Culture and Tourism of China, stated that China is willing to deepen cooperation and share its experiences with other countries to jointly promote the successful development of the industry.

The minister pointed out that the development of world tourism amid the COVID-19 pandemic was studied and discussed