On September 11, the World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development 2025 (hereinafter referred to as the "Conference"), held by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), kicked off at Shougang Park in Beijing. As one of the important thematic forums of the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), this session, themed "Smart Tourism for a Win-Win Future", saw the participation of 400 representatives from 66 countries worldwide. Through discussions, the attendees jointly explored cooperation approaches and identified the trends of global tourism in a digital and intelligent era.

A photo taken at the Conference

The Conference featured sections such as "Opening Remarks", "Mayors' Dialogue", and "Voice of the Tourism Industry", providing an exchange platform for the global tourism sector. Key topics such as tourism empowered by digital and intelligent technologies, cross-border collaboration, and innovation in cultural and tourism consumption were discussed. At the Conference, WTCF released two reports as its research achievements, namely the World Tourism Cities Development Report (2024-2025) and the World Tourism Destination Potential Competitive Index Report (2025). These reports comprehensively evaluate several cities' development indexes, serving as grounds and referential publications for the tourism industry's growth and policy-making.

Secuna Baldé, Minister of Tourism and Crafts of Guinea-Bissau

At the "Opening Remarks" section, Secuna Baldé, Minister of Tourism and Crafts of Guinea-Bissau, expressed a strong willingness to join WTCF, and was ready to share experiences, attract investment, and promote Guinea-Bissau's unique tourism resources via this organization.

Rustam Kholmatiyon, First Vice-Chairman of the Tourism Development Committee of Tajikistan

Rustam Kholmatiyon, First Vice-Chairman of the Tourism Development Committee of Tajikistan, presented Dushanbe's cases of digitalization and intelligentization, and expressed his wish for further cooperation with WTCF's member cities in investment and culture.

Olaf McKay, Mayor of Valletta, Malta

Olaf McKay, Mayor of Valletta, Malta, stated that Valletta, facing the challenges brought by the rapid growth of the tourism industry, places the "digital transformation" at the core of its sustainable tourism strategy. He highlighted that the city ensures an inclusive growth in its tourism sector through an intelligent approach that protects cultural heritage and serves both residents and tourists.

Pansy Ho, Vice Chair and Secretary-General of GTEF

In her speech, Pansy Ho, Vice Chair and Secretary-General of GTEF (Global Tourism Economy Forum), mentioned that digital innovation is the core driving force in reviving and transforming the tourism industry, as artificial intelligence (AI), 5G/6G, and immersive technologies are profoundly reconstructing tourist experiences and the industry's environment. She believed that culture-tourism integration and smart city development not only create economic value but also facilitate cultural communication and improve the livability of cities.

"Mayors' Dialogue"

During the "Mayors' Dialogue" sections, six mayors and vice mayors from different countries were present, namely the Mayor of Asti, Italy, the Mayor of Garoua, Cameroon, the Vice Mayor of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, the Vice Mayor of Athens, Greece, the Vice Mayor of Colombo, Sri Lanka, and the Vice Mayor of Fez, Morocco. They shared practical cases in their cities and insights on the "ways to promote the integration of digital and intelligent technologies and the tourism industry to strengthen the competitiveness of cities as tourist destinations".

"Voice of the Tourism Industry"

The "Voice of the Tourism Industry" section focused on the real-life applications and market transformation of digital and smart tourism strategies. Eight guests from tourism enterprises, airports and other entities in China, the Dominican Republic, Malaysia, Serbia, and Uruguay engaged in in-depth discussions on two major topics, namely the "Digitalization-driven Development of Culture and Tourism" and the "New Trends of Inbound Tourism Development and Consumption".

Initiated by Beijing in 2012, WTCF is the world's first international tourism organization focusing on cities. Beginning with 58 members, it has been making efforts in building platforms and fostering cooperation, growing into an organization with 257 members from 87 countries and regions. WTCF is hailed as the "fastest-growing international tourism organization in the world".

(Source: CRI Online)