The World Conference on Tourism and Culture, co-hosted by United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), was launched in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 4 February. The CNTA delegation led by Vice Chairman Wu Wenxue attended the conference. Themed on “Building a New Partnership”, the conference attracted over 800 participants from 99 countries around the globe, consisting of some ministers of tourism and culture and other government officials, representatives of businesses and industry associations and journalists. Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen, UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai, Cambodian Minister of Tourism Thong Khon, and Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeung Sakona addressed the opening ceremony, King Simeon II, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria gave a keynote speech and UNESCO Director General Ms. Irina Bokova sent a congratulation video. On that evening, His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, attended and addressed the dinner reception. The Siem Reap Declaration on Tourism and Culture was released at the end of the conference. 

 

At the conference, participants discussed topics such as protecting culture through tourism, deepening ties between tourism and culture, and exploring and building a new win-win partnership. At the dialogue section, CNTA Vice Chairman Wu Wenxue shared China's government policy, structure and governance mode in strengthening ties between tourism and culture. He quoted from the speech given by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the UNESCO Headquarters last March that the inheritance and development of civilization and the carrying forward and thriving of culture were closely associated with national prosperity and strength. CNTA had always highly valued and proactively supported the conservation of cultural heritage, upheld the principle of “giving priority to protection, utilisation for protection and protection-oriented development” and adopted a series of concrete measures accordingly. 

 

China’s exploration and practice in mutual promotion of tourism and culture inheritance and development, in particular in guiding Chinese tourists to respect and protect local cultural heritage in overseas tours, won extensive recognition among the audience. 

 

Mr. Wu also exchanged views with Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, deputy head of Russia Federal Agency for Tourism, First Deputy Minister of Czech Ministry of Regional Development, Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture of Guinea, and representatives of the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Program Secretariat.