Last November the Chinese government officially approved tourism guidelines which give the highest recognition to the industry as a strategic pillar supporting the national economy – a model Jean-Claude Baumgarten, WTTC’s president and CEO has urged other nations to adopt.

Shao Qiwei, chairman of the China National Tourism Administration, told the summit: “Tourism is a new engine of world economic growth. Globally, tourism has already surpassed the automotive and oil industries in terms of total revenues and job creation. Some will argue that the tourism industry is a fragile industry. However, recovery is more rapid and stronger than in any other industry.

“Tourism [in China] generates positive returns in terms of job creation – it supports 11 million jobs directly and an additional 5 million indirectly. It also has the strong potential to absorb unemployment.

“China’s [travel and tourism] industry has entered into a strategic phase of development. It started to develop from the 1970s … and, since then, the Chinese government and the industry have made remarkable progress, achieving 1.9 billion domestic trips in 2009. Inbound arrivals totalled 50 million and outbound trips exceeded 40 million – the biggest source of international tourists in Asia.”

He added that the industry has been incorporated into the national strategic development programme and the government has introduced reforms to open up the country in terms of market access and seeking co-operation and is also taking measures to promote the industry, formulating laws for tourism, developing a programme for the recreation of Chinese citizens, improving the regulatory framework and encouraging science and technology to contribute to the development of the industry.

Zhou Enyong, general marketing manager, Air China, said the airline has been changing the way it operates and upgrading services to keep up with consumer trends, particularly from the ever increasing number of domestic travellers.

“Over the years, travel consumption has evolved due to rapid changes in demographics in China. The rural population is becoming increasingly urban as a result of better education. Air travel is becoming a choice of travel for an increasing number of Chinese people. In 2002, fewer than 40 per cent travelled for leisure; in 2008, the respective share was 60 per cent,” he explained.

And Ding Xiangyang, vice mayor of Beijing, added: “From 2004 to 2008, China’s inbound tourism saw an annual increase of 6.8 per cent.

The foreign exchange earning from tourism increased from $25.7 billion to $40.8 billion, an annual increase of 11.7 per cent.

“In recent years outbound tourism has also experienced a rapid increase, from 28.85 million travellers in 2004 to 45.84 million in 2008, an annual increase of 16.7 per cent and China has become the fourth largest receiving nation for inbound tourism, next only to France, America, and Spain. The World Tourism Organisation predicts that by 2015 China will be the world’s largest receiving nation for inbound tourism and the fourth largest tourist source country for outbound tourism.”

But while he is determined to develop Beijing to position the Chinese capital as a truly world-class tourism destination, he accepted that there is still some way to go saying: “Firstly, there is lack of awareness as to the importance of the tourism industry and no consensuses have been reached within society on developing tourism as an industry,” said Zhou.

“Secondly, policy support is improper and industry discriminations exist. Thirdly, an overall, forward-looking and high-level tourist development plan urgently needs to be mapped out and lastly, the tourist structure is not perfect: low-end sightseeing tourism grows rapidly, recreational tourist products are in short supply and high-end commerce, convention and exhibition, and incentive tourism lags behind.”

That was the message from Tony Williams, senior vice president, resorts and projects for Emirates Hotels & Resorts as he accepted the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Award in the conservation category.

The four winners of the prestigious awards were announced during the WTTC’s 10th Global Summit in Beijing with New Zealand’s indigenous Maori-owned and locally operated, Whale Watch Kaikoura taking the community benefit award, Botswana Tourism Board winning the destination stewardship award for its ‘low-volume-high-yield’ approach to tourism in the Okavango Delta (pictured) and Accor receiving the award for global tourism business for its Earth Guest programme and company-wide philosophy based on hospitality, respect for diverse cultures, environmental best practices and the social welfare of local people where it operates in more than 100 countries.

Costas Christ, chairman of the judges, said: “We are seeing a new horizon in the global travel and tourism industry where more and more companies and destinations, both large and small, are leading the way forward in demonstrating that tourism can be an opportunity for protecting our planet and delivering tangible social and economic benefits at the local, national and international level.

“We are in a global transformation of the industry as we have known it.”

Whale Watch Kaikoura was recognised for its outstanding achievement in rebuilding the local economy through community-based tourism in Kaikoura on the east coast of South Island in New Zealand. Whale Watch Kaikoura specialises in giving more than 100,000 visitors annually the opportunity for up close observation of marine life, including rare sperm whales, using environmentally-friendly vessels. The company was founded in 1987 by local Maori, to create jobs for the indigenous Ngati Kuri community, and has since grown into a multi-million dollar nature tourism business.

In the Conservation category, Emirates Hotels & Resorts was awarded for its success in creating the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) through the establishment of the Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa and in Australia, the company’s Wolgan Valley Resort is one of the best examples in the world of conservation through tourism. The project is successfully reversing extensive grazing and development damage to restore rare native flora and fauna.

Williams added: “We talk about growth, sustainability, profits – none of this will happen unless we are environmentally sustainable.”

The decision in favour of Botswana Tourism Board was an extremely popular one at the awards ceremony. The organisation has taken a ‘low-volume – high-yield’ approach to tourism in the Okavango Delta – an internationally recognised Ramsar Site (ODRS) – and has been instrumental in putting in place the legislative framework and ecotourism standards to ensure proper management of one of the world’s most iconic nature travel destinations. Today, sustainable tourism in the Okavango employs 34 per cent of the adult population while protecting the largest inland wetland in the world.

Receiving the award a delighted Myra Sekgororoane, CEO, Botswana Tourism Board, said: “As well as motivating us to look for new ways to improve tourism and conservation in our country, we hope the award can inspire other countries to do similar work to protect their natural heritage.”

And accepting the award on behalf of Accor, chairman and CEO Gilles Pélisson said: “Accor’s strategy is underpinned by a deep respect for people and the environment. This respect is expressed through the Earth Guest programme, respectful of employees, customers, host communities and the planet’s natural resources.

In fact, Anna Stupnytska, macro-economist at Goldman Sachs, told a gathered audience of world tourism leaders at the 10th World Travel and Tourism Global Summit in Beijing, China, that the world’s middle class is expected to grow by 2 billion over the same period, representing a massive boost to the travel and tourism economy with more and more people having disposable income to spend on leisure travel.

She said: “The BRIC countries will dominate the next 10-20 years of global tourism, growing twice as fast as the average economy. While global tourism will grow an average of five per cent a year over the next two years, the BRICs – and, in particular, India and China – will grow at more than twice this level and this in itself is four times what established economies such as the US and the Eurozone will grow at.”

And the top four emerging markets, which represent 40 per cent of the global population, are already the focus of travel professionals looking for new clientele with money to spend, a fact borne out by Arthur de Haast, global CEO, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, who said: “China hotels today have a capacity of 1.59 million rooms compared to just 110,000 in India and 4.63 million in the US. The market still has tremendous potential for growth. I believe that, at some point in the future, China’s hotel capacity will reach 15 to 20 million rooms.”

Arne Sorenson of Marriott International added that the group already operates 45 hotels in China and will soon have around 70, InterContinental Hotels Group announced plans to build 200 hotels in China over the next few years and will employ an extra 60,000 new staff in the country over the next three years an other international operators are also moving into or expanding within the Chinese market.