Call for Chinese authorities to re-think tourism’s role
- BTN News
- Tuesday, 17 January 2017
Speaking at the 13th China Expo Forum for International Cooperation in Macau, Martin Winter has proposed that the rapidly evolving proposition for international tourism can profoundly impact the way Chinese government leaders think about nation building.
Winter, the chief executive of Australia’s Gold Coast, told an audience of 600 provincial government delegates and city officials from across China the timing could not be better given the launch of Premier Xi Jinping’s visionary ‘ One Belt, One Road’ initiative, aimed at promoting regional and cross-continental connectivity between China and Eurasia.
He encouraged participants to re-think tourism in terms of the broader visitor economy.
“This notion captures holidaymakers and business travellers, conference and incentive delegates, those who travel to participate in and watch sporting and cultural events and students who attend schools and universities from other regions and from abroad. They are all non-resident consumers with differing reasons to travel who contribute to Gross Local Product”.
Winter’s major theme focused on what he regards as the undervalued, intangible economic and social benefits flowing to local communities from the visitor economy. He demonstrated the powerful leveraging opportunities these provide, limited only by government commitment.
"This should be central to the economic strategy of every province and city. It is a low cost opportunity with handsome rewards,” he said.