WTA•Dialogue for China-Spain Tourism Cooperation Held in Madrid

Marking the golden jubilee of China-Spain diplomatic relations, the year 2023 is an excellent opportunity to host the China-Spain Cultural and Tourism Year, a major initiative consented upon by President XI Jinping and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Under the framework of this initiative, the “WTA•Dialogue for China-Spain Tourism Cooperation” was held in Madrid, Spain, on July 3^rd. The event was co-organized by the World Tourism Alliance (WTA) and the Spanish Tourism Authority (TURESPAÑA), with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism.

At the opening ceremony, HU Heping, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, and Héctor Gómez, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism of Spain, delivered video speeches, followed by speeches by WTA Chairman ZHANG Xu, the State Secretary for Tourism of Spain Rosa Ana Morillo, Chinese Ambassador to Spain and Andorra WU Haitao, and Director of TURESPAÑA Miguel Sanz. The opening ceremony was presided over by LIU Shijun, Vice-Chair and Secretary-General of WTA.

HU Heping – Minister of Culture and Tourism, China

In his speech, HU Heping extended his warm congratulations on the hosting of the event. He pointed out that, like a relentless stream that is not impeded by a rock, sincere friendship does not fade with distance. Despite China and Spain being thousands of miles apart and each having their own unique national conditions, they are both ancient civilizations and major tourism countries. They regard each other as crucial source markets and tourist destinations. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations half a century ago, the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain has been advancing steadily with fruitful results in cultural exchanges and continuous expansion of tourism cooperation. HU affirmed that the “WTA•Dialogue for China-Spain Tourism Cooperation” aims to execute key activities under the umbrella of the China-Spain Culture and Tourism Year to promote tourism exchanges and cooperation between the two countries through practical actions. He wishes to collaborate with Spain to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries. By utilizing the China-Spain Culture and Tourism Year as an opportunity, he looks forward to strengthening tourism cooperation and expanding personnel exchanges under the framework of bilateral, multilateral, and international tourism organizations such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the World Tourism Alliance.
HU hopes this will bring new benefits to the people of China and Spain, create new opportunities for the tourism industries of both countries, and inject new momentum into the development of the global economy.

Héctor Gómez – Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Spain

Héctor Gómez noted in his video speech that the Spanish tourism sector has shown positive growth in all forecast data since the start of the year and is on track to meet its tourism recovery targets for 2023 and to set new historical record. Gómez reiterated that every crisis harbors new opportunities, allowing the tourism industry to leverage its strengths and showcase its value amidst complex circumstances. He stressed that the emerging markets are undoubtedly important to Spain and Europe, with China representing a key source of outbound tourism. Spain is eager to strengthen its tourism ties with China and collaborate for a prosperous future, making this year a year full of opportunities and rewards.

ZHANG Xu – Chairman of World Tourism Alliance

ZHANG Xu noted that as two significant ancient civilizations in Asia and Europe, China and Spain, despite their geographical distance, have a long history of interaction. Over the centuries, pioneering exchanges between China and Spain along the Silk Road have left a lasting legacy in the annals of bilateral relations. In the 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties and 18 years since the initiation of the comprehensive strategic partnership, China and Spain have maintained robust diplomatic relations. Particularly since the start of the 21st century, tourism cooperation between the two countries has accelerated, mutually serving as important travel destinations and sources of tourists. Prior to the pandemic, the number of tourists between the two countries grew steadily each year. It is estimated that in 2019, China welcomed 166,000 Spanish tourists, while over 700,000 Chinese citizens visited Spain. ZHANG emphasized that hosting the China-Spain Culture and Tourism Year amidst a strong global tourism recovery is not only a historic opportunity and a reflection of the times but also a shared aspiration of the tourism industry and the public in both countries. Under the framework of the “2023 China-Spain Culture and Tourism Year”, the “Dialogue for China-Spain Tourism Cooperation” will serve to deepen tourism cooperation, enhance the participation, perception, and satisfaction of people in both countries. This effort will undoubtedly promote exchanges in the tourism sectors of both countries, contributing to sustainable and inclusive development in the global tourism industry.

Rosa Ana Morillo – Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Spain

Rosa Ana Morillo stated that the “Dialogue for China-Spain Tourism Cooperation” will not only deepen communication between the tourism communities of both countries but also expand two-way tourism size. Previous exchanges and cooperation have seen Chinese tourists make significant contributions to Spain’s strategy for sustainable development in tourism. In the new development environment, Spain is committed to becoming the best tourist destination for Chinese tourists on top of the efforts to step up its tourism promotion and open new airlines in China.

WU Haitao – Chinese Ambassador to Spain and Andorra

WU Haitao noted that this China-Spain Culture and Tourism Year would witness a diverse array of exciting cultural exchanges spanning the entire year. Tourism, as a bridge for spreading civilization, exchanging cultures, and enhancing friendship, allows people to appreciate the essence of culture and nourish their souls while enjoying the beauty of nature. China and Spain, as ancient civilizations and major tourist countries, have great potential for exchanges and cooperation in culture and tourism. This in-depth dialogue presented by representatives from the tourism industries of China and Spain will not only boost the post-pandemic development of the tourism industry but also expand personnel exchanges and enhance friendship between people of both countries. WU hopes that this year will be an opportunity to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, promote common development and further enrich the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain.

Miguel Sanz – Director-General of Spanish Tourism Authority (TURESPAÑA)

Miguel Sanz recognized the significance of tourism industry in creating and distributing wealth, strengthening social cohesion, promoting the development of economically underdeveloped areas, and promoting cultural understanding and friendly exchanges among nations. Bilateral exchanges and dialogue cooperation between countries are crucial for the success of tourism activities. For the Spanish tourism industry, Chinese market is of great importance, not only because of the large scale and huge potential, but also the contribution made by Chinese tourists in promoting sustainable development in various fields of Spanish society, economy, and environment. Spain has consistently committed to enhancing tourism cooperation with China. Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, Spain hosted over 700,000 Chinese tourists, each staying an average of 8 days and spending 2,600 Euros, with a high return visit rate of 38%, 10% above the European average. Presently, Spain aims to restore its tourism collaboration with China to the high in 2019 as soon as possible. Spain is implementing a China Tourism Recovery Action, rolling out a series of incentive measures targeting Chinese tourism service providers and consumers. Sanz believes the “WTA•Dialogue for China-Spain Tourism Cooperation” is undoubtedly a crucial milestone in the two countries’ tourism relationship and will strongly boost tourism exchanges and cooperation between them.

The “Dialogue for China-Spain Tourism Cooperation” hosted a series of activities, including keynote speeches, panel discussions, and an event titled”The Night of Hangzhou”. Domestic and foreign guests focused on themes such as “Changes in Demand and Product Development Strategy for the Outbound Market from China to Spain”, “Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges in Chinese and European Tourism Markets after the Reopening”, “Business Solutions to the Most Frequent Weaknesses/Problems of Spanish Tourism to China”,”Trends, Integrated Development of Culture and Tourism, Niche Markets and Generation Z Traveller Groups.” Attendees believe that the China-Spain tourism market is accelerating for a recovery, and two-way tourism exchanges and cooperation are ushering in a major strategic opportunity period. The pandemic has changed the demands and habits of tourists, highlighting by more diverse personalized demands for aesthetics, experience, safety, technology, and leisure. The Chinese and Spanish tourism industries should enhance bilateral exchanges and cooperation, continue to introduce innovative incentives to accelerate bilateral tourism cooperation and bring it to a new level. These efforts would inject strong momentum into the sustainable prosperity and development of the global tourism industry.

Founded in September 2017, the World Tourism Alliance is a comprehensive, non-governmental, non-profit international tourism organization initiated in China. Since its establishment, it has actively promoted the interconnection and shared governance of the global tourism industry. 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-government level. The WTA has initiated a series of “Dialogue” brand activities, including “Xianghu Dialogue”, “Yellow River Dialogue”, “Urban Tourism Dialogue”, “Beidahu Dialogue” in addition to membership activities such as “Member’s Day” and “Reception Event”. WTA has also organized and hosted a bunch of international tourism activities, including the “World Tourism Investment Conference” and the “SCO Tourism Cooperation Symposium”. It has published more than 20 research findings, including the “Report on World Tourism Development”, “Report on Development of Tourism Cooperation along Belt and Road”, and “Report on International Tourism Education”, making a positive contribution to the sustainable and inclusive development of the global tourism industry.

About 300 participants from Chinese and Spanish tourism authorities, international organizations, tourism cities, tourism enterprises, OTA platforms, airlines, and news media in both countries attended the event.