2023.06.29
“World Tourism Alliance • Dialogue for China-Spain Tourism Cooperation” is set to take place in Madrid, Spain on July 3rd. Orchestrated under the vibrant umbrella of the China-Spain Culture and Tourism Year, the event is co-organized by the WTA and TURESPAÑA, and is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Tourism of the Kingdom of Spanish.
Main activities such as keynote speeches, panels, and “The Night of Hangzhou” will be organized under themes like “New Era, New Market,” “New Demand, New Supply,” and “New Strategies, New Trends.” Distinguished guests from Chinese and Spanish tourism authorities, relevant international organizations, tourism cities, major tourism enterprises, OTA platforms, airlines, and the media will share their views on topics like “Trends, opportunities, and challenges in the Chinese and European tourism market after the reopening”, “Changes in demand and product development strategy for the outbound market from China to Spain, and “Trends, integrated development of culture and tourism, niche markets and Generation Z traveller groups.”
China and Europe have long served as both important destinations and sources of tourists for one another. Data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China shows that in 2019, Chinese citizens made 155 million outbound trips, with Europe being the second most popular intercontinental destination. Likewise, Europe holds a 13.2% share of the 145 million inbound foreign tourists in China, coming in second place. In the post-pandemic era, the desire of Chinese tourists for outbound travel drastically goes up, with long-haul destinations like Europe surging in popularity. The latest data from the China Tourism Research Institute shows a surge in Chinese tourists to Europe and America in 2022, a growth of 26% compared to 2021. Spain, a long-time favorite destination for Chinese tourists on major OTA platforms, witnessed an impressive influx of over 700,000 Chinese visitors in 2019, while Spanish visits to China recorded an impressive 166,000 in the same year. In response to this burgeoning market and the strong global tourism rebound, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, and TURESPAÑA jointly organized the China-Spain Cultural and Tourism Year. In a vibrant kick-off, a sequence of opening events took place in Spain at the end of March, 2023. The China-Spain Culture and Tourism Year will consist of dozens of diverse activities throughout the year, covering performance arts, visual arts, cultural heritage, and tourism, amongst other fields.
Since its founding in September 2017, the World Tourism Alliance, a comprehensive, non-government, non-profit international tourism organization initiated in China, has made significant contributions to the global tourism industry’s sustainable and inclusive development. Operating under the mission and vision of a “Better Tourism, Better Life, Better World”, WTA is committed to promoting tourism for peace, development, and poverty alleviation. The Alliance has been actively promoting global tourism connectivity and inclusive development. As of now, the WTA consists of 227 members from 41 countries and regions.