The Government of Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of the People’s Republic of China (Garze) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to recognize cooperation to mutual endeavour to promote the sustainable tourism development of Garze.

The signature ceremony took place at the First Daocheng Yading Shangri-La International Mountain Tourism Summit, 13-14 August 2017, where GSTC Chair Luigi Cabrini gave a keynote speech about ‘Sustainable Tourism: a road for the future’ and GSTC General Manager Roi Ariel spoke in a panel discussion about ‘Sustainable Tourism Development’.

Mr. Cabrini ended his opening remarks with the following recommendations:

  • “Tourism managers should target quality rather than quantity in their strategies, since
    positive benefits are not necessarily measured by the number of tourists visiting a
    destination.”
  • “There is an increased demand for authentic, sustainable and responsible products and
    destinations should respond to the new market trends”
  • “While communities should be empowered to lead their tourism development, all actors,
    including large companies, need to be involved in sustainable tourism strategies as
    everyone stands to gain.”

Xiao You-Cai, Governor of Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Deputy Secretary of Garze Committee of the Communist Party of China said in his opening speech: “With mountain tourism as the major target, we insist use of all-for-one resources, all-round panning, prefecture-wide construction and participation by all people, in a bid to establish ‘five major’ systems for tourism-based poverty alleviation: tourist destination, tourism products, tourism brand, tourism emergency rescue, and tourism-based poverty alleviation.”

“We will make great efforts to promote tourism-based poverty alleviation. We use rural tourism to stimulate the masses’ internal drive, create local job opportunities, and make the resident peasants to become well-off, out of poverty. Supported by all-for-one tourism, we will lead the sound, balanced development of all industries, including traffic and transport, hotel and dining & beverage, art creativity and performance, e-commerce and agricultural and special product processing.” Mr. Xiao added.

Sichuan Garze Tourism Development Committee is a GSTC Member

Panel discussion on Sustainable Tourism Development. From right to left: Andrew Jones, Sanctuary Resorts Guardian, and PATA Immediate Past Chairman; Anna Pollock, Conscious Travel Founder; Roi Ariel, GSTC General Manager; Peter Richards, ITC’s Myanmar Inclusive Tourism Project Consultant.