Transforming tourism for people, planet, and prosperity
October 26-28, 2023 | Guilin, China
Speaker slides have been added to each session. Scroll down to download.
Sustainability in tourism relies on the implementation of sustainable tourism policies, engagements of local communities, the promotion of sustainable practices in businesses, the heightening of tourist awareness, and collaborations among tourism stakeholders.
Balancing preservation, people, and productivity can support the industry's long-term viability and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Through preserving natural and cultural resources, promoting the well-being of local communities, and fostering positive social and cultural transformation in destination societies, tourism can create a positive and long-lasting impact on productivity and quality of life of both tourists and locals.
Aiming to serve as a knowledge platform for National Tourism Administrations, National Tourism Organizations and Destination Management Organizations, government officials, NGOs, industry practitioners, and academics to share trends and insights, research findings and practices, this year’s forum intends to deliver on the following objectives:
To explore innovative approaches and best practices for balancing preservation, people, and productivity in sustainable tourism.
To foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders in the tourism industry.
To promote awareness and education about sustainable tourism among forum attendees and the broader general public.
Thank you all for joining us in Guilin, China!
October 25, 2023: Registration
Registration
Venue: Shangri-la Hotel Guilin
All day
October 26, 2023: Technical Sessions
0800 - 0900
Registration
Technical Session 1: Rethinking Tourism in Post-Pandemic Times: Understanding and Adapting to New Trends.
0900 - 1000
Moderator:
Eunji Tae
Officer of Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO
Panelists:
Michel Julian
Senior Officer of Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness, UNWTO
Olivier Ponti
Vice President, ForwardKeys
Haesook Ma
Deputy Director, Tourism Big Data Strategy Team, Korea Tourism Organization
1000 - 1015
Coffee Break
1015 - 1215
Technical Session 2: Exploring Sustainable Tourism Development: Leveraging China's Tourism Potential
Shanhua Xiong
Vice President of Beijing Minsheng Think Tank and Consulting Co. Ltd / Director, Tourism and Culture Research Center/ Former Deputy Director General, Marketing &International Department of China National Tourism Administration
Moderator:
Rudy Van Der Ween
President, Inland Waterways International (IWI)
Panelists:
Guocai Ren
Senior Vice President, Joyu Lvmama Group China
Youhong Wu
Researcher from Institute of Investment Research at the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research
Chao Zhang
Senior Marketing Lead, China, Airbnb
1215 - 1400
Lunch
Technical Session 3: Digital Frontiers: Leveraging Technology for Sustainable Tourism
1400 - 1530
Pavnesh Kumar
Sustainability and Social Responsibility Program Head, PATA
Moderator:
Panelists:
Leo Liu
Vice President for Business Development, Public Sector, Mastercard
Anthony Hoglund
Vice President & General Counsel, Asia Pacific, Amadeus Asia, Ltd
1530 - 1545
Coffee Break
Cathy Hsu
Chair Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Marketing, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Samson Chan
Director, Business and Partnership of Vpon Big Data Group
1545 - 1730
Technical Session 4: Empowering People in Tourism
Moderator:
Honggen Xiao
Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Panelists:
Nicholas Thomas
Associate Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Changrong Ling
Professor, Tourism Management Department, School of Business, Guangxi University
Simon Tian
Chief Executive Officer, Menduner & Huomiaoer
Khalid Ibrahim Al-Sulaiti
General Manager of Katara Cultural Village Foundation, QATAR
1800 - 1930
Welcome Dinner
2000 - 2200
Technical Tour: Visit Guilin Intangible Culture Heritage Experience Museum
October 27, 2023: Plenary Sessions
0800 - 0900
Registration
Opening Ceremony
0900 - 0930
Moderator: Representative of Guilin
Beka Jakeli
Director of External Relations, UNWTO
Peter Semone
Chair, PATA
Dr. Kaye Chon
Dean and Chair Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Qingwang Miao
Vice Chairman, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region people’s Government
Representative from Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China
0930 - 1015
Keynote Session
Jigang BAO
Director of Monitoring Center for UNWTO Sustainable Tourism Observatories in China, Professor, Deputy Director of the Economics and Management Department, Director of Tourism Development and Planning Research Center of Sun Yat-sen University, Winner of the 16th Ulysses Prize awarded by UNWTO
1015 - 1045
Group Photo & Coffee Break
1045 - 1200
Panel Session: How to Work Together to Get Prepared for a Better Future?
Moderator:
Michel Julian
Senior Officer of Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness, UNWTO
Panelists:
Akiko Hagiwara
Principal Country Specialist, Asian Development Bank
Lyublema Dimova
Senior Research Manager, European Travel Commission
Fency Sivadasan
Senior Manager-Research, Sarawak Tourism Board
Kanan Aliyev
Officer, Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness Department, UNWTO
1200 - 1430
Lunch
Panel Session: Empowering Local Economies: Financial and Digital Literacy for Sustainable Tourism
1430 - 1545
Pavnesh Kumar
Sustainability and Social Responsibility Program Head, PATA
Moderator:
Panelists:
Ida Ayu Danik Suardhani
BA Manager SUSTOUR Project, Sustainable Tourism Destination Development – SusTour
Peter Wong
Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Visa China
Eunji Tae
Officer of Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO
1545 - 1600
Coffee Break
Concluding Keynote Presentation: Sustainable Travel Behaviour Post-COVID-19
1600 - 1645
Haiyan Song
Associate Dean and Chair Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Closing Remarks
1645 - 1745
Moderator: Representative of Guilin
Beka Jakeli
Director of External Relations, UNWTO
Peter Semone
Chair, PATA
Dr. Kaye Chon
Dean and Chair Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Representative of Guilin
Representative of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region’s Department of Culture and Tourism
1800 - 2000
Dinner
October 28, 2023: Technical Tour
-
08:00
Gather at the lobby of Shangri-la Hotel08:00-08:40
Take Coach to INTEGRAL-ESQUEL'S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GARDEN08:40-10:30
Visit Integral(Esquel Textile Industrial Park)10:30-11:30
Take Coach to Yangdi Pier12:00-14:00
Take a cruise to explore the Lijiang River.14:00-14:30
Arrive at Nanxunmen Pier, then visit West Street14:40-15:10
Take Coach to Ruyi Peak15:30-17:30
Visit Ruyi Peak17:30-18:00
Transfer to Gouweiwang Restaurant前18:00-19:00
Dinner19:30-20:40
Enjoy the Large Guilin Scenery Live show - Impression of Liusanjie21:00-22:30
Back to Shangri-la Hotel -
08:30
Gather at the lobby of Shangri-la Hotel08:30-10:00
Take coach to Longji Rice Terraces Scenic spot10:20-11:00
Visiting the China Long Hair Technology Museum11:00-12:00
Watch the show of Long Hair Yao, a unique cultural trail of the Yao ethnic group.12:00-13:00
Lunch13:00-13:40
Head to Dazhai Village, which has been selected by UNWTO as the 'Best Tourism Village14:00-15:30
Stroll through Dazhai Village, including taking the cable car to the No.1 Viewing Platform15:30-17:30
Back to Guilin
In collaboration with