On the evening of September 12, 2017, the inauguration ceremony of the World Tourism Alliance & “Beautiful China - Night of Chengdu” was staged in Chengdu, Sichuan province. The event attracted the presence of the UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities Prince Sultan bin Salman, Georgia’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister Mikheil Janelidze, Vanuatu's deputy prime minister and minister for tourism and commerce Joe Natuman, founder of the WTA and the CNTA chairman Li Jinzao and Sichuan's deputy Party secretary and governor Yin Li.

Li Jinzao, Taleb Rifai and Duan Qiang give remarks; Yin Li also present More than 1,000 guests from 137 countries and regions attend the ceremony

On September 11, 2017, the World Tourism Alliance (WTA), the first global, comprehensive, non-governmental, non-profit international tourism organization initiated by the China Tourism Association, held its general assembly in Chengdu, marking its official coming into being.