The 7th. UNWTO International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism was held in Xi’an, China and was jointly organized by UNWTO (UN World Tourism Organization), CNTA (China National Tourism Organization) and the People’s Government of Shaanxi Province China having declared 2015 the Year of Silk Road tourism. “Tourism is a window for opening-up an engine of development and a bond of peace,” said Li Jinzao, Chairman of China National Tourism Administration, in reference to the Silk Road and the international meeting.
“Let’s work together to champion the spirit of the Silk Road in this new era and create a bright future. The number of two way exchanges between China and other Silk Road countries has already exceeded 30 million.”

The meeting was held in the ancient Silk Road capital of Xi’an and addressed key topics, such as capacity building, marketing and promotion, heritage management and travel facilitation.

“Closer tourism cooperation is of great significance to the economic and social development of the countries along the Silk Road, as well as the peace and stability in the region,” said Taleb Rifai the Secretary-General of UNWTO.

Participating in the meeting were Tourism Ministers and Tourism Board representatives from more than thirty countries, as well as representatives from UNESCO, BBC Worldwide, University College London, TripAdvisor, Ctrip, Hainan Airlines, Finnair and the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance.

On the first day the tourism ministers of countries along the Silk Road and representatives of the UNWTO had an extensive, in-depth exchange of views on issues relating to the building of an integrated tourism market along the land and maritime Silk Roads.

The Silk Road has been an important corridor for commercial exchanges and cultural interactions among since ancient times.

Today the tourism ministers and representatives are of the view that the Silk Road is a treasure shared by all countries along the route, and an important resource for tourism development.

To give further impetus to the tourism exchanges and cooperation among the countries along the Silk Road, the tourism ministers and representatives participating in the meeting reached the following consensus:

I. Expanding the scale of interchange of visitors and raising the level of travel facilitation

1. Strengthening cooperation in the tourism market among countries along the Silk Road, promoting to send more tourists to each other’s countries, and striving to expand the scale of interchange of visitors.

2. Working to increase the frequency of cross-border flights, tapping the full potential of cross-border railway and highway resources, improving the transport conditions for inter-state travels and facilitating tourists’ travels, to meet the above-mentioned objective of tourist visits.

3. Stepping up travel facilitation, marketing and promotion of tourism resources, making the tourism resources along the Silk Road better known to the people, and attracting more tourists to countries along the Silk Road, as well as extending mutual assistance and providing necessary support for tourism promotion activities hosted by tourism authorities and companies from other countries in the region.

4. Seeking greater support of national governments for tourism development and regional tourism cooperation, pushing for the implementation of more convenient visa policies and streamlining customs clearance procedures, with the view of facilitating tourists’ travels and improving the environment for tourism development and cooperation among countries along the Silk Road.

II. Conducting joint marketing and carrying out the program of “ Visit the Silk Road”

5. Jointly building the brand of Silk Road tourism, carrying out the program of “ Visit the Silk Road”, promoting countries along the Silk Road as one tourism destination, and attracting more tourists from outside the region.

6. Stepping up input in the development of Silk Road tourism products, expanding the supply of tourism products by developing tourism routes with “multiple stops in one trip”, boosting the appeal of regional tourism products and promoting the sharing of tourist sources among regional countries.

7. Exploring the possibility of jointly participating in world-renowned exhibitions, and holding Silk Road tourism promotions and tourism product presentations on the tourism promotion platforms of regional countries to boost the public awareness of Silk Road tourism.

8. Harnessing the instrument of internet and smart tourism to expand the influence of the program of “Visit the Silk Road” and boost the visibility of the Silk Road tourism brand.

8.1.Deepening regional cooperation and boosting the quality of tourism exchange

9. Enhancing mutual trust among the tourism departments of national governments, developing an efficient and results-oriented tourism cooperation mechanism, sharing opportunities of tourism development, and jointly responding to the difficulties and challenges of tourism development including the protection of cultural heritage sites.

10. Strengthening cooperation among the tourism colleges and research institutions of regional countries, jointly holding training courses on tourism management professionals, analyzing the trend of tourism development in the region and beyond, and providing intellectual support for tourism cooperation among countries along the Silk Road.

11. Boosting the quality of tourism exchange and tourists’ satisfaction, overcoming the adverse impact caused by different habits of living and consumption, settling tourism disputes and ensuring tourist safety, and working together to improve the quality of tourism service.

The above initiative was adopted by the ministers participating in the Tourism Ministerial Meeting of Countries along the Silk Road.

7th UNWTO International Meeting on Silk Road Tourism and 1st Tourism Ministerial Meeting on the Silk Road Economic Belt: http://silkroad.unwto.org/event/7th-unwto-international-meeting-silk-road-tourism-and-1st-tourism-ministerial-meeting-silk-roa
UNWTO Silk Road Programme: http://silkroad.unwto.org/