2024.10.16
From October 10 to 13, after attending the 24th Global Summit of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Mr. ZHANG Xu, Chair of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA), led a delegation to Australia and Indonesia, aiming to strengthen tourism cooperation.
During his visit to Sydney, Australia, Mr. ZHANG met with the Hon. Dr. Helen Sham Ho OAM, the first Chinese Australian Member of Parliament for New South Wales. Mr. ZHANG highlighted that China ranked first among Australia’s source markets for inbound tourists in 2019, and currently, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Australia has recovered to about 60% of pre-pandemic levels. He also emphasized that China’s unilateral visa exemption policy for Australia, effective from July 1, 2024, has significantly boosted tourism exchanges between the two countries. Mr. ZHANG expressed WTA’s commitment to building platforms for international tourism cooperation and deepening collaboration with New South Wales and Australia to promote inclusive and sustainable development in the tourism industry. Ms. Sham-Ho welcomed further tourism cooperation, stating that China is one of Australia’s most popular tourist destinations. She hoped that WTA would consider hosting events in New South Wales and Australia and expressed her willingness to recommend leading tourism companies, associations, and research institutions from the state to join WTA.
In Jakarta, Indonesia, Mr. ZHANG held separate meetings with Giring Ganesha, Former General Chair of Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), Danny Oei Wirianto, Chief Business Officer of GDP Venture, and Sjachrul Firdaus, Executive Director of ASTINDO. Mr. ZHANG introduced WTA’s initiatives and shared insights into the latest developments in China’s tourism market. He welcomed their interest in increasing investments in China’s tourism sector and invited them to participate in the upcoming WTA • Xianghu Dialogue to be held in Sanya, Hainan at the end of October. Mr. ZHANG emphasized that the Xianghu Dialogue would be an excellent platform to gain a deeper understanding of China’s tourism market and foster international tourism exchanges and cooperation. The Indonesian leaders, including Giring Ganesha, Danny Oei Wirianto, and Sjachrul Firdaus, expressed their keen interest in the Chinese market, citing the vast potential for tourism cooperation between China and Indonesia. They confirmed their participation in the Xianghu Dialogue, aiming to use the platform to strengthen collaboration with China and the global tourism industry.
During the visit, Mr. ZHANG also engaged in discussions with H.E. Wang Lutong, the Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia; Yu Jie, the Acting Consul General at the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney; and Liu Dong, the Director of the China Cultural Centre in Sydney and Chief of the China National Tourist Office in Sydney. These talks provided valuable insights into the regional tourism development landscape and facilitated discussions on further enhancing future cooperation.