Growth is tourism industry's destination

A walk along Wukang and Anfu roads in Shanghai's Xuhui district offers a glimpse of the city's culture and landscape. The combination of historical architecture with well-designed cafes and shops draws numerous tourists, making it the trendiest place for a stroll.

This is no coincidence. Both the authorities and the community have cooperated to combine cultural preservation with contemporary vitality, striking a balance with tourism. This approach has also benefited residents by improving infrastructure and public services.

It's one of China's successful examples of developing communities through sustainable tourism, which was among the key topics at the World Tourism Alliance's Xianghu Dialogue 2024, recently held in Sanya, Hainan province, under the theme of "geared up for a new venture — the future is now".

Representatives from international organizations, tourism authorities, cities, companies and travel agencies from 32 countries and regions gathered for the discussions. These included trends in the global market and tourism between China and Europe.

"The tourism industry has become an emerging strategic pillar industry, promoting both livelihood and happiness," says Zhang Xu, chair of the World Tourism Alliance. The annual conference acts as a platform for the global tourism industry to communicate and enhance cooperation.

According to UN Tourism, formerly known as UNWTO, a leading international organization in the field of tourism, the number of tourists traveling internationally had almost returned to pre-pandemic levels in the first seven months of 2024, driven by robust demand in Europe, and the reopening of markets in Asia and the Pacific.

Jaime Mayaki, director of the Department for Technical Cooperation and Silk Road at the UN Tourism, identifies trends in the global tourism industry, including regenerative tourism, wellness tourism, sustainable development and the use of artificial intelligence.

"In community-based tourism, we should ensure that local residents benefit from tourism and preserve their culture as well," he says. "Also, the numbers of digital nomads (those who travel and work remotely) are increasing globally, and destinations should offer them the necessary infrastructure, such as reliable internet."

He believes that tourism plays a vital role in terms of driving job creation, economic development, cultural exchange, environmental conservation and poverty reduction.

"Sharing best practices among countries is important for global tourism cooperation," he says. "China excels in using technologies like AI in creating personalized experiences. It can share its popular digital payments, virtual reality and augmented reality practices."