China will be the host of the next UNWTO General Assembly, as decided by 21st UNWTO General Assembly (Medellín, Colombia, 15 September 2015).The 22nd Session of the Assembly, the most important global meeting of senior tourism officials and high-level representatives of the private tourism sector, will take place in Chengdu, China, in 2017.
“China’s importance as a driver of tourism development cannot be understated. It is not only the world’s fourth most visited country, but the number one source market in the world, as well as a prominent leader in domestic tourism. These numbers, alongside the Chinese authorities continued recognition of tourism as a strategic pillar of the national economy and an effective development tool, make China a fitting host for the next UNWTO General Assembly“, said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

According to UNWTO data, in 2014, China received 55.6 million international tourism arrivals, generating 56.9 billion US$ in international tourism receipts. In the same year, Chinese tourists spent 164.9 billion US$ abroad, making China a clear leader in terms of international tourism expenditure.