The World Tourism Alliance--a comprehensive global, non-governmental, and nonprofit tourism organization established in China--held its inaugural ceremony on Sept. 12, 2017, in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China. Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China sent a congratulatory letter on the founding of WTA.
With its mission and vision of a “Better Tourism, Better Life, Better World,” WTA is committed to promoting tourism for peace, development, poverty alleviation and driving global tourism exchanges and cooperation at the non-governmental level.
The WTA membership comprises national or regional tourism associations, influential tourism or tourism-related enterprises, tourism destinations, non-profit organizations, academia, media, and individuals. Positioning itself as a service-orientated international organization that caters to the needs of its members, WTA aims at creating platforms for dialogue, networking, cooperation, ideas and information, resource sharing, and communication for integrative development.
WTA is honored to have received generous support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China. The WTA headquarters and Secretariat are located in China.
With the Xianghu Dialogue as WTA’s main signature event, the Dialogue series addresses hot travel topics and trends. It is aimed at connecting the world and China through cooperation with various globally recognized organizations of authority and expertise.
Together with the China International Poverty Reduction Center and the World Bank, WTA is at the forefront of this issue. To this end, it assiduously gathers best practice cases, conduct research and promote the protection of intangible heritage. Reports on this global issue have been released.
To support its members with scholarly support and assist them in making informed data-driven decisions, WTA works with relevant institutions in sponsoring and releasing a series of industry and market research reports.
Zhang is a researcher and Master's degree holder, and has spent his entire career in public service at the Ministry of Culture of China (later renamed to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism). His previous positions include Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Public Culture, Editor-in-Chief of Culture Monthly, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Society and Culture (briefly on secondment to the Hebei Provincial Department of Culture as Deputy Director-General), Director-General of the Department of Society and Culture(the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage), Director of the Central Cultural Management Cadre College in China, Director-General of the Department of General Administration, Vice Minister of Culture and the Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of China.
Adam Burke serves as President & CEO of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (Los Angeles Tourism). With more than 25 years of travel & tourism industry experience, Burke previously served as Senior Vice President, Customer Loyalty for Hilton Worldwide with global management responsibility for the award-winning Honors customer loyalty program. Burke is actively engaged in advocating for the broader travel and tourism industry, serving on the Board of Directors of U.S. Travel Association and the Board of Trustees of the Destinations International Foundation,as well as the Global Leadership, and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committees of Destinations International, the Meetings Mean Business Coalition, and the Simple view Advisory Board.
Henri Giscard d'Estaing, a president of Club Med. He is a graduate of the Paris Institute of Political Studies and has a master's degree in Economic Sciences. Mr. Giscard d'Estaing began his career at the Cofremca. Then, he joined Danone Group; he has been Mergers &Acquisitions Senior VP, CEO of the British subsidiary HP Food Lea and Perrins, CEO of Evian-Badoit and CEO of the Mineral Waters division. He became Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Club Med in December 2002.In 2017,Mr. Giscard d'Estaing has been named Global Partner of the Fosun Group, the Vice Chairman of the Foliday Board as well as Executive Director and Co-chief Executive Officer,President of Club Med and Director of Club Med Holding. Since April 2018, he is Member of the Advisory board of BOAO Forum for Asia.
Pansy Ho is Group Executive Chairman and Managing Director of Shun Tak Holdings Limited(“Shun Tak”), Co-chairperson & Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, Chairman of Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre. Ms. Ho also holds a respectable number of executive roles in various private and quasi-government entities including Sociedade de Turismo e Diversöes de Macau， S.A., Shun Tak-China Travel Shipping Investments Limited, Air Macau Company Limited, Macau International Airport Company Limited and Hong Kong lnternational Airport Ferry Terminal Services Limited. In addition, she is a member of the 14th Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Vice Chair of the 13th Executive Committee of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. Over the years, Ms. Ho has been dedicated to the promotion of tourism development on the international front, actively engaged in a number of the world's leading tourism organizations.
Liu graduated from Beijing International Studies University and is a holder of an EMBA from Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business. He previously served as the Director-General of Marketing and International Cooperation of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), Secretary-General of China Tourism Association, Inspector of the General Administrative Office of CNTA, Deputy Director-General of Industry Management and Standardization of CNTA, and Director of China National Tourist Office in Sydney and New Delhi. He has long been engaged in international exchange and cooperation, tourism marketing, industry regulation, tourism standardization, and other efforts.International Liaison, CNTA and Director of China National Tourist Office in New Delhi and Sydney. He represented CNTA in the Asian Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus.
Eduardo Santander is the Executive Director of the European Travel Commission (ETC). Mr. Santander has over 15 years of experience in tourism marketing, brand development, business consulting, advocacy and public affairs gained in diverse private companies and public institutions from the tourism and hospitality sector.Educated in Spain, USA and Austria he holds a PhD in Sport Sciences and an MBA degree with a focus on Hospitality and Recreation Industry Management. Mr. Santander is a passionate advocate of freedom to travel, smart connectivity and sustainability in tourism and beyond.
Xu, Deputy Director-General and First-level Inspector of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, graduated from Hangzhou University with a Bachelor degree in Tourism Economic Management, from Zhejiang University with a Master degree in Economic Law, and from Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a Master of Science in Hotel and Tourism Management (HTM) in 2006. He was previously President of Zhejiang Travel Agency Association,Executive Vice President of Zhejiang Tourism Association, and a member of the National Technical Committee on Tourism Standardization. He has extensive experience in the tourism industry, and has a long history in tourism industry management, marketing promotion, and industrial development.
Chapter 1. General Provisions
Article 1. The name of the Alliance is the World Tourism Alliance or WTA in abbreviation form.
Article2. The WTA is a non-government, non-profit international organization for consultation and cooperation between tourism institutions and relevant personages committed to promoting international exchanges and cooperation. It is a social organization with legal person status established in accordance with Chinese laws.
Article 3. The WTA abides by the constitution, laws, regulations and state policies of the host country and observes social ethics.
Article 4. Following the vision of Better Tourism, Better Life, Better World and the objectives of promoting development, poverty reduction and peace with tourism, the WTA aims to enhance international exchanges and cooperation in the global tourism community for the purpose of building consensus, sharing experience and deepening cooperation, and promote sustainable and inclusive development of the world tourism industry.
Article 5. The WTA is registered with the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, and administered by the Ministry of Culture and Toursim of the People’s Republic of China. The WTA is subject to the supervision and guidance of the registration and administration authorities.
Article 6. The headquarters of the WTA is based in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China.
Article 7. The working languages of the WTA are Chinese, English, French, Russian, Arabic and Spanish.
Chapter 2. Scope of Business
Article 8. Scope of Business
1. To provide professional services for all members, build a platform for member-to-member dialogue, exchange and cooperation, and promote business cooperation and experience sharing among members.
2. To strengthen communication and coordination with major international organizations, collect and analyze tourism data, study the global trend of tourism development, and provide statistics and research reports;
3. To track the difficulties and challenges of tourism development, and provide policy advice and recommendations on tourism development to national governments;
4. To hold the WTA’s annual meetings, summits, expos and other tourism promotion events, and build a platform for exchange and cooperation between the public sector and the government.
5. To provide education, training, consulting and planning services, promote the sharing of resources and enhance the capability of the tourism industry for achieving sustainable development.
Chapter 3. Membership
Article 9. Scope of Membership
Membership of the WTA consists of institutional and individual members. Institutional members refer to the national tourism associations, influential tourism enterprises, think tanks, research institutes and other institutions of various countries. Individual members refer to the experts and scholars in the tourism field.
Article 10. Applicants for WTA membership must meet the following conditions:
1. Endorse the WTA Statutes;
2. Intention to join the WTA;
3. Hold adequate influence in the sector.
Article 11. Procedures for Admission
1. Submission of membership application;
2. Discussion and approval by the WTA Council;
Article 12. Rights of Members
(1)To elect, stand for election and vote in the WTA;
(2)To take part in the WTA activities;
(3)To have priority access to the services of the WTA;
(4)To criticize, make suggestions on and supervise the work of the WTA;
(5)To use the data and information of the industry provided by the WTA;
(6)To undertake and sponsor various WTA activities on a priority basis;
(7)To enjoy the benefits provided by the WTA;
(8)Other rights granted by the Council;
(9)Voluntary membership application, freedom of withdrawal.
Article 13. Members’ Obligations
(1)To implement the WTA resolutions;
(2)To safeguard the lawful rights and interests of the WTA;
(3)To complete the work assigned by the WTA;
(4)To pay membership dues according to regulations;
(5)To report the relevant information to the WTA and provide relevant materials.
Article 14. Members that withdraw from the WTA shall notify the WTA in writing and return their membership cards. Members that fail to pay membership dues or take part in WTA activities for one year shall be deemed as automatically withdrawing from the WTA.
Article 15. Members that commit serious violation of this Statutes shall be dismissed upon the approval of the Council by voting.
Chapter 4. Organs and Heads of Organs
Article 16. The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the WTA, whose functions and powers include:
1.To formulate and amend the Statutes;
2.To elect or dismiss members of the Council;
3.To deliberate on the work report and financial report of the Council;
4.To formulate and revise the membership dues standards;
5.To discuss the proposals tabled by the members;
6.To discuss the venue for the next General Assembly;
7.To decide on matters related to termination;
8.To decide on other important matters.
Article 17.Quorum for the General Assembly shall be two thirds of the membership. Any resolution of the Assembly shall come into effect only after being adopted by more than half of the members present through voting.
Article 18.The General Assembly shall be held every four years. Should it be held in advance or be postponed owing to special circumstances, the decision shall be adopted by the Council through voting, submitted to the administrative authorities for review and approved by the registration authorities. Whereas, the postponed period for the re-election shall be no more than one year.
Article 19.The Council, which is the executive organ of the General Assembly, oversees the day-to-day work of the WTA when the Assembly is in recess, and stands accountable to the General Assembly.
The number of Council members, which shall account for no more than 30% of the WTA’s membership, shall be an odd number and may be adjusted, upward or downward, with the approval of the General Assembly. The Council members shall each serve a four-year term and can be re-elected. The composition of the Council shall reflect the principle of balance between sectors and regions.
Article 20.Functions and Powers of the Council
1.To implement the resolutions of the General Assembly;
2.To elect and dismiss the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Secretary-General of the WTA;
3.To prepare for the convening of the General Assembly;
4.To deliver the work report and fiscal report to the General Assembly;
5.To decide on the admission or dismissal of members;
6.To decide on the establishment of executive agencies, branch agencies, representative agencies and physical agencies;
7.To decide on the appointment of Deputy Secretaries-General and agency chiefs;
8.To lead the work of the WTA;
9.To formulate internal management rules;
10.To decide on other important matters;
Article 21. Quorum for the Council meeting shall be two thirds of the Council membership. Any resolution of the Council meeting shall come into effect only after being adopted by more than two thirds of the Council members present through voting.
Article 22. The Council shall meet at least once every year. In case of special circumstances, the meeting may also be conducted by way of communication.
Article 23. The Chairperson, Vice Chairpersons and Secretary-General of the WTA shall meet the following conditions
1.Hold a considerable influence in the WTA’s field of business;
2.Good health conditions and fit for work;
3.No record of criminal punishment involving deprivation of political rights;
4.Full capacity for civil conduct.
Article 24. Candidates for the Chairperson, Vice Chairpersons and Secretary-General who have exceeded the age limit shall be appointed only after being approved by the Council through voting, submitted to the administration authorities for review and approved by the administrative authorities.
Article 25. The Chairperson, Vice Chairpersons and Secretary-General shall serve a term of four years, with a maximum of two terms. In case the term needs to be extended owing to special circumstances, the decision shall be adopted by over two thirds of the members at the General Assembly through voting, submitted to the administrative authorities for review and approved by the registration authorities.
Article 26. The Chairperson of the WTA shall be its legal representative. In case of special circumstances which require the Secretary-General to be the legal representative, the decision shall be submitted to the administrative authorities for review and approval by the registration authorities.
The legal representative of the WTA shall not concurrently serve as the legal representative of other social organizations.
Article 27. Functions and Powers of the Chairperson
1.Convene and preside over the Council meeting;
2.Check the progress of implementation of the resolutions of the General Assembly and Council;
3.Sign the relevant important documents on behalf of the WTA.
Article 28. Functions and Powers of the Secretary-General
1.Oversee the daily work of the executive agencies, and organize the implementation of the annual work plan;
2.Coordinate the work of various executive, branch and representative agencies;
3.Nominate the Deputy Secretary-General and the heads of various executive, branch and representative agencies and submit the nominations to the Council for decision;
4.Decide on the recruitment of staff members of the executive, branch, representative and physical agencies;
5.Preside over all the WTA meetings except for the General Assembly and Council meetings;
6.Handle other daily affairs.
Chapter 5. Management and Use of Assets
Article 29. Source of Funds
1.Membership dues;
2.Donation;
3.Government support;
4.Incomes from activities or services carried out within the approved scope of business;
5.Interest;
6.Other legal incomes.
Article 30.The WTA collects membership dues in accordance with the relevant state regulations.
Article 31.The WTA funds shall be used within the scope and for the cause prescribed by this Statutes, and shall not be distributed among the members.
Article 32.The WTA shall establish a stringent financial management system and ensure the legality, authenticity and integrity of accounting materials.
Article 33.The WTA shall be staffed with professional accounting personnel, who shall not concurrently serve as the treasurer. The accounting personnel must conduct accounting calculations and accept accounting supervision. When moving to other jobs or leaving the current job, the accounting personnel must complete the handover procedures with his/her successor.
Article 34.The management of WTA assets shall be subject to the financial regulations of the country where the headquarters is based,and accept the supervision of the General Assembly and the financial authorities.Funds that come from state appropriation, government support or public donation must accept the supervision and audit of the audit authorities, and the relevant information must be made available to the public through appropriate means.
Article 35.Before re-election or change of legal representative, the WTA must accept the financial audit organized by the registration and administration authorities.
Article 36.No organization or individual may occupy, secretly divide or misappropriate the assets of the WTA.
Article 37.The salary, insurance, welfare and other entitlements of official WTA staff members shall be enforced in accordance with the relevant regulations of the host country and with reference to the relevant international rules.
Chapter 6. Procedures for Amending the Statutes
Article 38. The amendments to the Statutes shall be adopted by the Council through voting and then submitted to the General Assembly for review.
Article 39. The amended Statutes shall come into effect after being reviewed and approved by the administration authorities and submitted to the registration authorities for examination and approval within fifteen days after adoption by the General Assembly through voting.
Chapter 7. Termination and Property Disposal
Article 40. In case the WTA is to have its registration nullified due to such circumstances as completion of purposes, independently initiated dissolution or separation and merger, a motion of termination shall be put forward by the Council.
Article 41. The motion on the termination of the WTA shall be approved by the General Assembly through voting and submitted to the administration authorities for review and consent.
Article 42. Before termination, the WTA shall set up a clearing organization under the guidance of the administration authorities andrelevant departments to sort out credits and debts and deal with the aftermath. During the clearing period, it shall not engage in any activity other than clearing.
Article 43. The WTA shall be deemed terminated after its registration is nullified by the registration authorities.
Article 44. The remaining WTA assets after termination shall be devoted to the development of undertakings in line with the WTA purposes under the supervision of the administration and registration authorities and in accordance with the relevant state regulations.
Chapter 8. Auxiliary Provisions
Article 45. This Statutes is adopted by voting at the General Assembly on … (date), (month), and (year).
Article 46. The right to interpret this Statutes shall rest with the WTA Council.
Article 47. This Statutes shall come into force on the date of examination and approval by the registration authorities.