2024.07.05
Budapest, July 4 – The “Europe-China Tourism Dialogue”, co-hosted by the World Tourism Alliance (WTA), the European Travel Commission (ETC), and the Hungarian Tourism Agency (HTA), was successfully held in Budapest. Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry for National Economy of Hungary, and the Ministry for EU Affairs of Hungary, this event brought together distinguished leaders and experts from the tourism industry.
Prominent attendees included Mr. ZHANG Xu, WTA Chair; Mr. DUAN Qiang, Chair of the 1st WTA Council and President of the China Tourism Association; Mr. LIU Shijun, WTA Vice Chair and Secretary-General; Ms. Pansy HO, WTA Vice Chair, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the GTEF, and Executive Chairman and Managing Director of Shun Tak Holdings Ltd.; Mr. Miguel SANZ, President of the European Travel Commission; Mr. Eduardo SANTANDER, Executive Director of the European Travel Commission and WTA Vice Chair; Mr. KÖNNYID László, CEO of the Hungarian Tourism Agency; Mr. GONG Tao, Ambassador of China to Hungary; and Ms. Amaryllis VERHOEVEN, Acting Director in charge of Tourism, Textiles, Digital Transformation of Industry and Social Economy at the European Commission (DG GROW).
Mr. GONG Tao highlighted the historic and cultural richness of China and Europe, emphasizing the longstanding tradition of friendly exchanges. He noted that tourism has always been a vital field of cooperation between China and Europe. The “Europe-China Tourism Dialogue” event marks the first international tourism conference hosted by Hungary since it took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1. This event not only testifies to the strong friendship between China and Hungary but also showcases the achievements of China-Europe tourism cooperation. Mr. GONG expressed his hope that this dialogue would serve as a platform for China, Hungary, and the European tourism industry to enhance information sharing and resource exchange. He called for joint efforts to further develop cultural and tourism cooperation, injecting new vitality into China-Europe relations.
Mr. KÖNNYID László underscored that one of Hungary’s primary tasks during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union is to enhance the EU’s competitiveness. He emphasized that tourism, as an ecosystem with significant spillover effects on multiple related industries, is becoming a key driver of this competitiveness. As an EU member state, Hungary is the country in the Central and Eastern European region with the most robust connections to China, contributing significantly to the growth of international tourism between the EU and China. He expressed hope that Hungary would act as a catalyst for further EU-China cooperation in the future.
Ms. Amaryllis VERHOEVEN emphasized tourism’s critical role in the EU’s economic growth, employment, and cultural exchange. She highlighted that tourism is a key factor in enhancing regional competitiveness. Ms. VERHOEVEN expressed hope that the dialogue would promote EU-China cultural exchange and tourism cooperation, addressing challenges such as over-tourism, labor shortages, digitalization, and climate change.
The event, themed “Tourism, Bridging China and Europe for a Shared Future”, featured keynote speeches, panels, and report sharing. Experts from tourism authorities, international organizations, tourism cities, key tourism-related enterprises, OTA platforms, and research institutions shared insights on sustainable tourism development.
In the keynote session, Ms. Pansy HO analyzed the investment and development potential of Europe-China tourism. She called for accelerated cultural and tourism innovation, technological and digital applications, and the establishment of a high-quality, sustainable tourism ecosystem; Mr. Miguel SANZ highlighted the complexity of the tourism ecosystem and the need for collaboration among governments, international organizations, and industry stakeholders to make tourism a driving force for sustainable social, environmental, and economic development; Ms. Jane SUN, CEO of Trip.com Group, discussed the significant growth in EU-China tourism cooperation, particularly enhanced by visa-free travel, and emphasized the importance of immersive, experiential, and sustainable travel trends.
Panels focused on topics such as “Artificial Intelligence Enhances the Competitiveness of the Tourism Industry – Big Data Drives Sustainable Tourism Development”, “The Role of Art and Culture and New Media Communication in Marketing”, and “Changing Consumption Trends in Market Segments and the Evolution of Tourism Products.” Participants engaged in in-depth discussions, sharing practical experiences, success stories, and insights into the opportunities and challenges facing the tourism industry. They conducted a thorough analysis of these issues and expressed their views on deepening Europe-China tourism exchanges and cooperation. The participants unanimously agreed on the need to accurately grasp new technologies, new media, and new consumption trends to actively promote innovation in tourism management methods, marketing models, and product forms, thereby advancing the tourism industry towards higher quality, greater efficiency, and more sustainable development.
During the report sharing session, the “Cross-border Tourism Consumption Trends Report 2023-2024”, jointly researched by WTA, Mastercard, Trip.com, and Ant Group, was officially unveiled. Mr. Quim MARTINEZ, Vice President, Tourism Segment Global Lead at Mastercard, shared insights during the report release, emphasizing that stakeholders can promote the long-term prosperity of cross-border tourism by focusing on environmental, community, and economic aspects to drive sustainable development in the industry. Ms. Amaryllis VERHOEVEN shared updates on the EU Transition Pathway and the latest advancements in EU-China cooperation.
At the closing ceremony, Mr. LIU Shijun, WTA Vice Chair and Secretary-General; Mr. Eduardo SANTANDER, Executive Director of the European Travel Commission and WTA Vice Chair; and Mr. Olivér CSENDES, CEO of Visit Hungary, delivered closing addressing, expressing their hopes for continued and stable global tourism cooperation.
The event concluded with the “The Night of Hangzhou” special promotion, showcasing the cultural and tourism resources of Hangzhou.
With approximately 300 representatives from 29 countries and regions in attendance, the event was praised for its organized structure, rich content, and diverse formats. Participants expressed that the event not only provided a platform for in-depth discussions on tourism development trends and the sharing of successful experiences but also offered numerous insights and takeaways for promoting Europe-China tourism exchanges and sustainable tourism development. They noted that the event would help to deepen cooperation in areas such as tourism resource development, marketing promotion, and tourism talent training, injecting new vitality and momentum into the growth of Europe-China tourism.
On July 3, the “Europe-China Tourism Dialogue” also featured high-level meetings, a promotional event:exhibition, and Gala dinner, setting the stage for fruitful discussions and engagements.