2021.04.07
WTA plans to visit its members and carry out a research in different places in 2021 to strengthen the daily communication between the members and WTA and learn about their expectations and requirements for WTA under the “new normal”. Recently, WTA Secretary-General Liu Shijun led the secretariat to visit some WTA members in Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
On March 29, the secretariat delegation visited Overseas Chinese Town Group (OCT Group) to meet and exchange views with General Manager Yao Jun. Liu Shijun expressed his gratitude to OCT Group for its long-term support to WTA as a council member and invited OCT Group to actively participate in various activities held by WTA, so as to contribute experience to the early recovery of the industry after the pandemic. Guided by the staff of the group, the secretariat investigated a new batch of development projects, such as OCT-LOFT Creative Culture Park, OH Bay and Sparkland, intuitively experiencing OCT Group’s new business concept featuring the integration of science and technology, environmental protection and ecology.
On March 30, the secretariat visited Guangdong Chimelong Group Co., Ltd, a WTA council member. Under the guidance of Su Zhanhang, the Vice President of the group, the secretariat visited the enterprise brand pavilion and learned about group’s course of hard struggle and development achievements from scratch to the establishment of a national brand. During the discussion with Su Zhigang, Chairman of the group, the two sides exchanged views on such topics as the growth of the WTA, tourism development, youth entrepreneurship, brand building and construction of Hengqin International Leisure Tourism Island. Su hoped that WTA would play a leading role in promoting exchanges and understanding between different regions and cultures, and encourage more young people to join the tourism industry and realize their dreams in life.
On the morning of March 31, entrusted by Che Chiqiang, Party Secretary of the Party Committee and Board Chairman of the group, Huang Xihua, General Manager of Guangdong Provincial Tourism Holdings Co., Ltd., and Luo Ganguo, chief accountant, received the secretariat delegation. Huang Xihua shared her experience in serving the development of China’s tourism industry as the chairwoman of Guangdong Tourism Association and a deputy to the National People’s Congress, encouraging WTA to tap into the unique role and the advantages in resources of non-governmental platforms and to actively participate in global governance for better development.
On the afternoon of March 31, the secretariat held talks with Mr. Liang Lingfeng, General Manager of Guangzhou Lingnan Group Holdings Company Limited. The two sides made discussions by focusing on the sustainable development of WTA, the recovery and revitalization of tourism and the construction of tourism museum. Liu Shijun praised the work of Lingnan Group in epidemic prevention and control and promoting the recovery of the cultural and tourism industries, pledging that WTA would provide more valuable services to its members, including Lingnan Group.
With the strong support of Lingnan Group, WTA held a symposium for members in the Pearl River Delta region in LN Garden Hotel on the afternoon of March 31. Huang Xizhong, Level II Bureau Rank Official of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, Zhu Hongbing, Level I Division Rank Official of Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, and representatives of WTA members in Guangdong and Guangxi attended the symposium. Zhao Ke, Director of the WTA Division of Service and Management, briefed the development of WTA at the forum chaired by Liu Shijun, emphasizing the value chain structure of WTA with members’ needs as the core and the achievements made in poverty reduction through tourism and other fields. In addition, he introduced a series of work planned by WTA in 2021 around three key issues: “the 4th WTA·Xianghu Dialogue”, “the election at expiration of office terms of the council” and “the completion of WTA headquarters”. WTA members affirmed the efforts of WTA as a non-governmental platform in promoting industry communication and providing industry insight, hoping that WTA would play a greater role in promoting the orderly restart of outbound tourism under the “new normal”, coordinating the recovery and development of inbound tourism, encouraging tourism education innovation, industrial upgrading, and tourism development of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Fan Ruiqing, project officer of the Division of Service and Management of WTA Secretariat, and Liu Yuying, project officer of the Division of Cooperation and Development, participated in the member visit and symposium. To maintain regular communication with its members, WTA will visit them in the Yangtze River Delta region, Sichuan and Chongqing in a planned way within the year and will start visiting its members abroad after the international flights resume completely.