The World Tourism Cities Federation was officially inaugurated in Beijing on Sept 15, marking the birth of the first international organization whose members are cities renowned for tourism resources.

The federation aims to promote exchanges and cooperation among its members on tourism, serve as a venue to share experiences and explore ways to boost the industry, while also fueling their own economic and social development, said Wang Anshun, president of the organization's first council.

With "better city life through tourism" as its theme, the Beijing-headquartered non-profit organization now has 58 members - 23 Chinese and 24 foreign cities as well as 11 tourism-related companies.

And a dozen more cities are expected to file applications for membership soon, said Lu Yong, secretary-general of the newly born federation.

The Beijing Declaration, the mission statement of the federation, was released at the inaugural meeting after it was passed and signed by member cities at a general assembly held on Sept 14.

The idea of building closer relations among popular tourist cities was proposed by industry insiders in Beijing years ago because the industry plays an increasingly important role in economic development, according to the organizing committee.

Tourism generates $6 trillion annually, some 9 percent of global GDP, said David Scowsill, president of the World Travel & Tourism Council, at the federation's inaugural meeting.

The federation not only offers the opportunity for cities to learn from each other and find ways to address challenges together, but also provides a forum to convey the industry's importance to help protect cultural and natural assets, Scowsill said.

Shao Qiwei, head of China's National Tourism Administration, said the administration will provide the federation with all support it has to offer.

It joins a small group of other global international tourism organizations, which include the UN World Tourism Organization, the World Travel & Tourism Council, and the Pacific-Asia Travel Association.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/16/2012 page14)