China vows to help 12 million people out of poverty through tourism development
Beijing ( Xinhua ) : China has vowed to help 12 million people out of poverty in the next five years through tourism development and strengthening international tourism cooperation.
Premier Li Keqiang made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the First World Conference on Tourism Development held at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing on Thursday morning ( May 19, 2016 )
He said most of China’s impoverished people live in poor and remote areas, which face difficulties in developing agriculture and industry, but have unique advantages for developing tourism. Many remote and poor areas have already reduced poverty through tourism development.
Li said tourism will help China foster a new driving force for development, achieve entrepreneurship and innovation, reduce poverty and enhance friendship with other countries.
China will treat tourism as an important area for promoting structural reform, especially supply-side structural reform and economic development. China will open the tourist market to non-governmental capital, deepen cooperation with foreign capital, strengthen hardware construction and market supervision, Li noted.
According to Li, the tourism industry directly contributed 4.9 percent of GDP in 2015 and directly employed nearly 28 million people.
He added that China will promote integration of tourism development and the “Internet Plus” strategies and achieve synergized development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries. He said China will make tourism development conducive to environmental and ecological protection, and coordinate ecological protection and economic development.
Li also called on other countries to loosen visa approval policies, streamline entrance procedures, better protect consumers’ rights and interests, and strengthen south-south and south-north dialogue on tourism cooperation to give full play to tourism as a bridge for friendly exchange.
Mozambican President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi and Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai also addressed the opening ceremony, expressing their willingness to promote communication and cooperation in this regard.
UNWTO reports on 1st World Conference on Tourism for Development in Beijing
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Government of the People’s Republic of China hosted the First World Conference on Tourism for Development on 19 May. Under the theme ‘Tourism for Peace and Development’, the event is the first high-level meeting to address how tourism can contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 universal goals.
The conference is expected to bring together 1.000 public and private representatives from over 100 countries to discuss tourism’s role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a particular focus on tourism’s capacity to fight poverty and build peaceful societies.
“Tourism’s capacity to contribute to more sustainable societies is reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with the inclusion of tourism in three of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals – Goal 8 on economic growth and jobs; Goal 12 on sustainable production and consumption, and Goal 14 on marine conservation. Yet, tourism’s cross-cutting nature and multiplier effect on many other sectors positions it perfectly to advance all 17 Goals. This conference will be fundamental in engaging tourism leaders from around the world in this universal agenda,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.
“This conference is also a great example of our cooperation with the Government of the People’s Republic of China and reflects China’s commitment to make tourism a driver of inclusive development,” he added.
The summit session, moderated by CNN’s Richard Quest, will discuss on how countries can align their tourism development with the SDGs, how the private sector can fully adopt the Goals and what national measures are critical to deliver on the Goals.
The Conference includes two other sessions: one on the role of tourism in poverty alleviation and the development agenda, and the second on tourism and peace.
Speakers include the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Wu Hongbo, representing UN Secretary-General, as well as Ministers and high-level tourism officials from Argentina, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Germany, Georgia, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Lithuania, Malta, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, UK, USA, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe.
Tourism representatives will be joined by Ambassador Dho Young-Shim, Member of the UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group, representatives of the World Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JAICA), the World Tourism Cities Federation, the Petra National Trust Fund, the Beijing Municipality, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces.
Representing the private sector will be Shun-Tak Holdings, Kuoni Group, tuniu.com, the Beijing Tourism Group, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the Japan Association of Travel Agents, The Travel Corporation, the China National Travel Service (HK) Group Corporation and Ctrip.com.
May 19 , 2016
