Hosted by the SHTM and organised by Fliggy, the Alibaba Group's travel brand, the 11th CHINA TOURISM FORUM: Innovations in Hospitality and Tourism Practices was held on 14-16 November 2017 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China.
Alongside China's increasingly significant role in the global tourism industry since 2007, the SHTM has organised two major forums: the International Forum on China Hotel Brand Development and the China Tourism
Forum. In line with the current wave of innovation and the ongoing development and in-depth integration of tourism, hotel and many other related sectors, the two forums have been combined into one and renamed the CHINA TOURISM FORUM: Innovations in Hospitality and Tourism Practices. The revitalised forum provides a platform for industry experts, government officials and academics to interact and explore how to cope with unprecedented challenges and opportunities when promoting sustainable
innovation in tourism, hospitality and related industries.
On 15 November, the 11th CHINA TOURISM FORUM was officially opened by Professor Kaye Chon, SHTM Dean, Chair Professor and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management; Mr Xu Jingsheng, Secretary General, China Tourist Hotel Association; and Mr Xu Peng, Deputy Director, Tourism Bureau of Zhejiang Province.
Under the theme "Innovations in Hospitality and Tourism Practices", the forum attracted more than 600 participants from around the region
to share their insights, practices and research findings. The seven Invited Presentations covered a wide range of topics, including "Future is Here! - A.I. and the Hospitality and Tourism Industry", "Development Trends of China's Digital Economy", "How to Achieve a Successful Cross-Industry Cooperation", "Hotel Industry - Positive 2017 and Sustainable 2018", and "Are You Ready for the New Age of Tourism Destination?". The Forum also featured two Special Sessions on the topics "Culture and
Tourist Villages" and "Big Data and Tourism Industry".
Also featured were three "3-People Talk Shows" covering "China's Hotel Industry in the Innovation Wave", "Theme Parks and Themed Entertainment" and "Welcome to the Era of Global Free-style Travel". At the same time, Roundtable Panels held discussions on "New Generation Consumers and Innovative Hotels", "Emerging New Vacation Modes and Products" and the "Evolution and Future Outlook of the Hospitality and Tourism Industry in
China".
The SHTM considers it vital to unite industry partners, alumni, educators and researchers to promote collaboration in hospitality and tourism innovations and practices for the future development of the industry. Through events such as the CHINA TOURISM FORUM, the SHTM continues to play a leading role in embracing the future through innovation.
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