With outbound tourism growing rapidly worldwide, Beijing and other major international citieshave formed an alliance to make it easier for people to vacation abroad. The World Tourism Cities Federation comprises 37 famous destinations, including Los Angeles, Rome, Berlin and Moscow, and 10 companies, including JTP Corp, Kempinski Hotels and AirChina.
"The federation will better facilitate tourism," Lu Yong, head of the NGO's preparatory team, saidon Thursday at a news conference to launch the federation. "Through direct negotiation and discussion among member cities, it is likely that there will bemore direct flights in the future between these tourist destinations and easier entry (requirements)," he said.
The federation, headquartered in Beijing, will be the world's fourth-largest world tourism organization, behind the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the World Travel and Tourism Council and the Pacific Asia Travel Association, and it is the first to be based in China. Funding will come from membership fees, public and corporate donations, government subsidiesand service incomes, Lu said.
According to Lu, the platform it provides distinguishes it from the other three organizations. Itbrings famous tourist destinations together and at annual symposiums will devise practicalmethods and policies to facilitate worldwide tourism. It will organize frequent exhibitions to introduce the scenery, culture and history of the cities. "This platform provides reciprocity and mutual benefit," Lu said. "Members can share experiences and learn from each other."
The first symposium will be held on June 25 in Beijing, Lu said.
Zhang Hui, a tourism professor at Beijing Jiaotong University, said Beijing was chosen asthe federation's headquarters in part because of China's booming development inoutbound tourism in recent years. The number of Chinese tourists going abroad has skyrocketed in the past few decades, and the Chinese have become a major buying poweron foreign markets, Zhang said.
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