2014 World Travel & Tourism Conference Successfully Held
The 2014 World Travel & Tourism Conference concluded in Sanya on April 25.At the two-day meeting, 876 guests from 62 countries and regions around the world had heated discussions and in-depth exchanges of views on the hot topics concerning the world tourism industry.
These topics include “Tourism and Travel: A force for Good in an Uncertain World”; “The Impact of World Economic, Political and Demographic Changes on Tourism”; “China Tourism: Opportunities and Challenges”, etc.
According to Micheal Frenzel, Chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), discussions at the conference were constructive, providing the guests with new insights and laying a good foundation for them to continue their cause with a stronger sense of responsibility. Sanya’s excellent services and facilities, especially its unique culture, made the conference a pleasant experience for all the guests.
When discussing the topic of “Tourism and Travel: A force for Good in an Uncertain World”, WTTC President David Scowsill said that the world economic and social development is facing severe challenges at present and the tourism industry needs to work harder in order to prove that it is a force for good. The tourism industry is creating more and more job opportunities to help people improve their life quality, which is a situation that gratifies both the tourists and the investors, he said.
Speaking of the topic of “The Impact of World Economic, Political and Demographic Changes on Tourism”, the guests said that the tourism industry is significantly affected by various problems related with population, debt, the Internet and security. For example, an aging population may produce a certain effect on economic growth. Demographic factors may either boost or retard economic development. From the perspective of tourism, a noteworthy fact is that the number of people around 65 years of age who go on tours will reach the peak. Meanwhile, the Internet has changed the consumption pattern of tourists and the way they travel. Security is a major concern and a key factor to consider when people choose to tour a place or not.
With respect to the topic of “China Tourism: Opportunities and Challenges”, David Scowsill said that the rapidly-rising middle class in Asia, especially in China, is becoming the most importance force that drives the development of tourism. He believes that China will surpass the US in 10 years to become the world's largest tourism economy, especially the largest outbound market in terms of the number of tourists. As for the development of China’s tourism industry, domestic insiders unanimously turn their eye to the young and middle-class groups who are more interested in self-guided rather than escorted tours.
Lu Zhiyuan, Assistant Governor of Hainan Province and Director of the Tourism Development Commission of Hainan Province, said that this year’s World Travel & Tourism Conference held in Sanya will promote the province’s tourism development. The guests’ insights are an important inspiration for Hainan Province which is working hard to build itself into an international tourism island, especially for Hainan tourism enterprises.
It is said that the next World Travel & Tourism Conference will be held in Madrid, Spain, in April 2015.
