OPENING CEREMONY AND WELCOME DINNER
Honourable Madame Liu Yangdong, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and State Councillor
“The Chinese Government has taken a lot of steps to transform its development model… We are striving to turn tourism into a strategic pillar of the economy, as well as a modern service industry – to the satisfaction of the Chinese people.
“As a country of 1.3 billion people China represents a huge tourism market. Our tourism industry is in a golden stage of rapid development.
“We are taking a number of measures: improving service quality, providing a strong legal framework; reforming the sector and making innovation; giving access to market players.
“China’s tourism will open more widely to the outside world, promoting international exchange and co-operation – of products, research and development, training for the industry, etc.”
Guo Jinlong, Mayor of Beijing
“WTTC’s Global Travel & Tourism Summit is a major event for the development of our tourism sector. Tourism is in fact moving fast to become a pillar of our economy as it now represents 7% of our local GDP. Since we are already the political and culture centre of China, we aim to provide the highest standards of service to turn Beijing into a green, world-class tourism destination.”
Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
“Strong partnerships require strong partners. Recent developments have revealed some of the structural weaknesses of the tourism sector, both within the private and the public domains.
“There is clearly a need to revisit our business models in order to master innovation and technology as much as there is a need to develop comprehensive, clear and strong public policies.
“This Summit is therefore an excellent opportunity to discuss how to reset our public-private partnerships based on innovative business models and practices on the one hand, and clear forward-looking public policies on the other.”
Geoffrey J W Kent, Chairman & CEO, Abercrombie & Kent Group of Companies and Chairman, WTTC
“China has shown us the way as the first major world economy to recognise the full value and potential for Travel & Tourism – not only as a pillar of the national economy, but also as an important driver of future economic growth and job creation.
“Travel & Tourism, like other economic sectors, is constantly facing challenges – terrorist attacks, natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and cyclones… health scares… and, most recently, the totally unexpected impact of the volcanic eruption in Iceland. Nevertheless, Travel & Tourism tends to come out of those difficult times stronger and in better shape to face future challenges.
“We are convinced that this will be the case again now that we are emerging from the recent global economic crisis – boosted by new markets building up in the Far East and Latin America and the dynamism of a sector which, we must never forget, is the ultimate service industry, in which people serve people.”