Peter Semone, chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, delivers a speech at the 2023 Chongqing International Travel Agent Conference. (Photo/Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development)

Chongqing—Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality is actively responding to the new pattern of the world situation and the new changes in international tourism. It is actively enhancing the destination's visibility and competitiveness, and it will play an important role in international communication and cultural and tourism exchanges in the future.

Peter Semone, chairman of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), made the remarks in a written interview on the sideline of the 2024 Chongqing International Travel Agent Conference, which kicked off on Tuesday.

The conference aims to promote international tourism development through exchanges and exhibitions, resource sharing, collaborations in tourism offerings, market cooperation, and tourist exchange programs.

Chongqing is a dynamic destination in China with great potential for international tourism development, said Semone, adding that by building strong partnerships across China, such as in places like Chongqing, PATA can help nurture relationships that will result in robust two-way tourism that flows between its members.

As Chongqing is working to join PATA, Semone highlighted several benefits of joining it, including access to best practices in sustainable tourism, which will improve product and service standards and foster innovation; increased visibility in key international markets through PATA events; and expert advice to help Chongqing develop into an international standard destination.

According to Semone, regional cooperation is a powerful tool for developing multi-country itineraries along the tourism value chain and enables economies of scale in tourism promotion, especially for long-haul markets that are costly and time-consuming to reach.

He also noted that tourism partnerships across the Greater Mekong Subregion will grow as accessibility improves, particularly with the bullet train, making cities in the Lancang Region more accessible. He emphasized the crucial role of countries collaborating on harmonizing standards, services, and policies.