A TOTAL of 37 cities from around the world including Los Angeles, Rome, Berlin, Beijing and Moscow have come together to form a new global tourism alliance.
Dubbed the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), the non-profit, non-governmental organisation is now the fourth largest tourism coalition globally after UNWTO, WTTC and PATA. Headquartered in Beijing, WTCF is also the first-ever global tourism body to be based in China.
WTCF’s main agenda is to facilitate cross-city dialogue and sharing of research, including statistics and the latest trends, to support strategic tourism development. Plans are also in the pipeline to stage exhibitions to showcase the landscape, culture and history of individual cities.
Funding for activities will derive from a combination of membership fees, public and corporate donations, as well as government subsidies.
According to Chinese news reports, WTCF is in negotiations with additional cities, including New York and Nairobi, to join the alliance. WTCF hopes to grow its membership to 100 cities within the next three years.
Martin Craigs, CEO of PATA, said: “As long as they (WCTF) recognise the need for aligned advocacy, then this should add value to the industry activism happening worldwide. For instance, the WTCF should help to lobby foreign governments to lower taxes or simplify visa processing.”
Craigs has been invited to speak at WTCF’s first symposium, which is scheduled to take place in Beijing on June 25.
