World Tourism Summit Opens in Beijing

The 2013 Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit and Second Council of the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) gets under way today in Beijing.

The summit is being held from 11 - 14 September 2013 in Beijing.

The summit's theme will be "Tourism: the New Power for A City's Sustainable Development" and highlights will include:

- Attendance by over 100 members of World Tourism Cities
- Congratulatory letters from the United Nations confirming the summit's international standing
- Formation of a Committee of Experts under the WTCF
- Release of the World Tourism Cities Evaluation System
- Signing of the Beijing Consensus
- Construction of an experience center
- Addition of three sessions for civil aviation and tourism companies as well as the media.

World Tourism Summit will take place in Beijing 11-14 September 2013. Click to Enlarge.

The World Tourism Cities Experience Center is in the eastern part of Shijingshan District along the western extension of Chang'an Street and is divided into the Southern Area and the Northern Area. The Southern Area is in Beijing International Sculpture Park, and is home to ten experience projects: My Dream, the Comprehensive Experience Pavilion, the Visitor Service Center, City Charm, City Shuttle, City Flavor, Digital Sand Table, City Show, World Tourism Phenomenon, as well as The Water of Sincerity. The Water of Sincerity will serve as a permanent marker of the federation. The Southern Area will also exhibit 3D tourism images, tourism landscape images and the city mascots of over 60 cities including Beijing, Los Angles, Buenos Aires and Hong Kong. Experience and Interaction will be the theme and highlights of the Southern Area, which will showcase the cityscapes of member cities through three dimensional animations, digital holography, stereo projection and other new technologies, enabling the visitors to become intimately acquainted with the tourism resources of the cities that are the world's major travel for leisure destinations.

The Northern Area is where the Beijing International Tourism Center will be located. When construction is completed, the center will host the WTCF Secretariat, the Committee of Experts, and the facilities for the three sessions (civil aviation, tourism companies and the media). The Beijing representative offices of world tourism cities and travel agencies will also have their offices here. Daily activities will focus on tourism experiences, exhibitions, training of tourism practitioners, academic research and other works -- becoming a comprehensive tourism core functional area incorporating exhibitions, experiences, communication and other functions.

The 2013 World Tourism Cities Tour is being held on Wangfujing Commercial Street from 10-13 September. The tour will gather over 50 exhibiting organizations and showcase the cultures and charismatic qualities of member cities through a variety of activities including introductions to the cities and representative artistic performances, including through signature and 3D stereograph interaction.