On 29 July 2017, China-ASEAN Tourism Education Alliance and the China-ASEAN Tourism Education Cooperation Forum were successfully held in Guiyang. The Alliance was sponsored by ASEAN-China Center and Guilin Tourism University and organized by China-ASEAN Tourism Research Base, China-ASEAN Tourism Talents Training Base and Guiyang University. Over 100 representatives from universities of China and 10 ASEAN countries, research institutes and enterprises participated in the event. H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), and other dignitaries attended and addressed the event. Mr. Cheng Daopin, President of Guilin Tourism University, chaired the opening ceremony.
Secretary-General Yang Xiuping stated that tourism cooperation has long been one of the bright spots of ASEAN-China relations. It is gratifying to see that in 2016, the number of bilateral visits between ASEAN countries and China topped 31.8 million. The year 2017 is also designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. ACC is conducting a rich variety of activities in conjunction with the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation. To name a few, ACC held the ASEAN-China Quality and Sustainable Tourism Development Conference and ASEAN Photo Exhibition, translated the 50 Golden Trails of ASEAN into Chinese, and is working on the documentary shooting in 10 ASEAN countries. Initiating the Tourism Education Alliance is another step taken by ACC to build a new platform to cultivate more professionals in the area of tourism and elevate China-ASEAN Tourism Education to a new height.
Ms. Lin Na, Party Secretary of Guilin Tourism University, Ms. Mao Youbi，President of Guiyang University and Mr. Andrew Chua, President of East Asia Institute of Management of Singapore respectively briefed the participants about the cooperation and achievements of the participation in China-ASEAN tourism education exchanges. They stressed that education has unique advantages and plays an increasingly important role in improving quality of tourism services and thus promoting sustainable tourism development. It is believed that the China-ASEAN Tourism Education Alliance will be a new platform for the joint development of the tourism colleges and universities of both sides and become the new think tank for promoting regional tourism development and building a new bridge between China and ASEAN.
Ms. Wang Hui, Deputy Director General of Department of International Cooperation and Exchange of Chinese Ministry of Education, Mr. Yu Changguo, Deputy Director General of the Personnel Department of China National Tourism Administration and Mr. Gan Lin, Director General of Tourism Development Committee of Guangxi all extended their congratulations and stated that education and tourism cooperation are important parts of China-ASEAN cultural exchanges. The establishment of the alliance is an important measure to promote the quality of tourism education cooperation between China and ASEAN countries. They hoped that the alliance members will utilize this platform to strengthen communication and mutual learning and to cultivate more experts in tourism for common development.
During the event, the 18 initiated tourism institutions from China and 10 ASEAN countries jointly signed the "Declaration on the China-ASEAN Tourism Education Alliance". The related universities, research institutions and enterprises’ representatives have further discussions on the construction of the China-ASEAN tourism education community, tourism innovation and entrepreneurship education, University-Enterprises cooperation and the cultivation of tourism talents. The alliance puts forward suggestions on deepening the cooperation between China and ASEAN on tourism education and looks forward to open a new chapter in education and tourism cooperation.