World unites on tourism at development conference

We will advance cooperation to drive international tourism investment and consumption. We are willing to create enabling conditions for companies to invest in overseas markets by holding international tourism fairs, tourism investment forums and tourism business roundtables.

For example, tourism cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative will bring 150 million Chinese tourists and $200 billion in tourism consumption to participating countries over the next five years.

In the coming five years, China will launch a series of international cooperation projects on tourism, including the development and protection of tourism resources, consulting services for tourism planning and training of Chinese-speaking tour guides and management staff.

We will also provide 1,500 opportunities for training in China and give the best possible assistance to other developing countries to help them create jobs in the tourism sector, leverage tourism's role in improving people's lives and support the global campaign against poverty.

We will pay greater attention to resource and energy conservation and ecological protection, bear in mind that "sound natural environment is as important as mountains of gold and silver", promote the transition toward a more efficient model of tourism development, and preserve and utilize natural and cultural tourism resources in a more effective way.

The author is the chairman of the China National Tourism Administration.