UNWTO accepts Shaanxi Tourism Group as its affiliated member

On Oct 19, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) announced that Shaanxi Tourism Group has become an affiliated member of UNWTO at the 25th General Assembly of the organization and the third meeting of the 44th Affiliated Member Assembly, which were held from Oct 16 to 20 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, said that becoming an affiliated member of the UNWTO, Shaanxi Tourism Group, headquartered in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, is conducive to the prosperity of the UNWTO and the promotion of global tourism. It is also beneficial for the organization to promote the "Silk Road Special Action Plan" and jointly promote the development of global tourism.

He emphasized that the Silk Road has the ability to connect countries, cultures, and people through tourism, promoting mutual understanding and sustainable development, which is also the most important work of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, both now and in the future.

Zhou Bing, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Shaanxi Tourism Group, said that Chinese culture is an important component of human civilization.

"Spreading Chinese culture, telling Chinese stories well, and inheriting Silk Road culture, is the responsibility of our group. The UNWTO is the international stage for us to achieve the goal of Chinese culture going out," said Zhou Bing.

Industry insiders noted that the convening of the 25th General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations and the accession of Shaanxi Tourism Group to the organization coincided with the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, injecting more Chinese elements into world tourism and accelerating the internationalization process of Chinese cultural and tourism enterprises.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) was established on January 2, 1975. It is an intergovernmental international organization of the United Nations system and a leading international organization in the field of tourism. It has 159 member countries and over 500 affiliated members.

Its purpose is to promote and develop the tourism industry, making it conducive to economic development, international mutual understanding, peace and prosperity. UNWTO members can leverage international platforms for extensive communication and in-depth cooperation, enhance the level of the tourism industry, expand tourism space, and abide by and share the rules and benefits formulated by the UNWTO to promote the global tourism industry.

Lu Hongyan contributed to this story.