The 1st ITSA Bi-Annual Conference: “Tourism and the New Asia International Conference” (TNAIC) is held in Beijing on August 9-12, 2006
The annual conference of ITSA is “Tourism and the New Asia International Conference” (TNAIC). The 1st TNAIC is held in Beijing on August 9-12, 2006. Over 300 delegates from 30 countries and regions all over the world participated in this international academic conference, focusing on the dynamic economic, geopolitical and social developments taking place within Asia and their likely impacts on international tourism. The conference offers an opportunity for researchers, policy makers, industry practitioners and community representatives from across the globe to engage in a constructive dialogue on tourism in the context of New Asia.
International Conference on Tourism and New Asia, co-organized by China National Tourism Administration and Peking University, co-hosted by Center for Recreation and Tourism Research and Hanou Tourism Committee, and co-assisted by 8 organizations including The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was successfully held at Yingjie Communication Center, Peking University during 9-12 August 2006. On the opening ceremony, in the morning of 9 August, vice director of China National Tourism Administration Gu Chaoxi、vice president of Peking University Lin Jianhua、Asia-pacific director of UN World Tourism Organization (UN WTO)Xu Jing、vice director of Hanzhou Tourism Committee Li Hong、and professor and director of Center for Recreation and Tourism Research, Peking University Bihu Wu attended the opening ceremony and addressed on behalf of organizers、hosters, and UN World Tourism Organization.
Part of international experts transferred to Hangzhou, the famous tourism city to continue the conference after Beijing meeting and meanwhile International Tourism Studies Association (ITSA), the first China-based global academic association on tourism research in the world was founded in Hangzhou on August 15th 2006 by19 founding members all over the world, and headquartered at Peking University in Beijing.
Opening ceremony of International Conference on Tourism and New Asia on 9th August 2006
On the opening ceremony, president of the International Conference, professor of Peking University Dr. Bihu Wu pointed out that “It is the first large-scale international academic conference hosted by China National Tourism Administration and it is also the first international academic conference in tourism field hosted by Peking University, which will exert great influence on both China National Tourism Administration and Peking University. New Asia Tourism is not only the broadly focused academic issues internationally but also a social-economic phenomenon worth attention globally. We will consider it as not only a conference topic, but also the consecutive research issue, furthermore as branding of an academic conference, and a fixed international academic exchange platform.
Vice director of China Tourism Administration Gu Chaoxi addresses at the opening ceremony
Vice president of Peking University Lin Jianyue addresses at the opening ceremony
President of the conference, director of CRTR Dr. Bihu Wu chair the conference
The conference adopted international conference template utilizing English as official language. During short meeting period, worldwide most prestigious tourism academic & industry representatives came to the conference and discussed various issues on global tourism development in the process of tremendous changes in new Asia. Conference topics include: government management and tourism management、politics and power、tourism develop and planning、tourism information and technique、tourism culture and productization、sports tourism、mega event tourism、heritage tourism、tourism education and training、tourism study methods and practice、tourism marketing、destination image and branding、new opportunity of travel and hospitality service、environment and warefare, ect.
The conference involves in various fields with assorted forms. More than 200 delegates of scholars、graduate students、government officers、media press and publishers from 30 countries and regions including USA、UK、Germany、Canada、Japan、South Korea、Australia、New Zealand、South Africa、Nepal、Israel、Turkey、Oman、India、Singapore、Malaysia、Thailand、Sri Lanka、Chinese Taiwan、Chinese Hong Kong、Chinese Macau and mainland China participated in varied exchange activities. The conference invited Asia-Pacific Director of UN World Tourism Organization Xu Jing to make reports as key-note speaker, additionally six worldwide top tourism prestigious experts: Professor Alastair Morrison from Purdue University USA, Professor Keith Hollinshead from Luton University UK, Professor Chris Ryan from University of Waikato, New Zealand, Professor Haiyan Song from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, HK SAR, China, Professor William Gartner from University of Minnesota, USA and Professor Geoffrey Wall made key-note speech on three mornings respectively and received warm welcoming and great appraisals from all delegates. The conference adopted the form of parallel branch-meeting room to arrange 105 articles presented at 35 branch-meeting rooms and highly appraised by all delegates. In addition, responding to “China-India Friendly Year”, the conference organized the meeting of “China-India Roundtable of Tourism Development”. Officers from India Embassy in China、India studies Center, Peking University、well-know tourism experts from both China and India and international prestigious experts are invited to attend Roundtable Meeting. They highly appraised the effects of Roundtable Meeting and suggested to host next Roundtable Meeting in India. Most of delegates are graduate students from all over the world. The conference also organized a seminar of tourism studies methods focusing on world famous experts that warmly welcomed by graduate students and young scholars. In order to give delegates an intuitional impression on the influence of Beijing Olympic Game 2008, the conference organized field-visiting on Olympic structure site and Olympic Park Model Exhibition in Beijing Urban Planning Exhibition Center. The conference conveys a large amount of information with varied forms that all delegates benefited a lot from it.
The conference resulted in fruitful achievements and published conference papers with more than 1000 words via tourism education publisher including 6 key-note speech、84 thesis and 135 abstract. Also, the conference evaluated all papers of graduate students, authorized 3 excellent papers as best paper award and issued scholarship to them through donated books and souvenir bidding. Additionally, conference academic committee framed further publish plan of papers and academic journals edition for excellent papers from this conference.
China-India Roundtable of Tourism Development
Based on great success of International Conference of New Asia and broad attractiveness to all tourism researchers from the world, many organizations have already applied for hosting next New Asia conference. The conference organization committee determined to host the 2nd New Asia Tourism Conference in India in 2007. For this concern, conference organization committee would dispatch delegates to visit India to confirm venue and hosters recently.
Part of international experts transferred to Hangzhou New Asia-branch conference on 13-16 August 2006. The academic exchange seminars were held in Linan and Hangzhou city respectively. International experts field visited Hangzhou World Leisure Expro、Hangzhou Songcheng、Daming Mountain landscape area on 13-14 August, Mountain & Land Leisure Tourism International Forum that co-organized by China Landscape and Historic Sites Association 、Tourism Administration, Zhejiang Province、Peking University and hosted by Linan Government on the morning 15 August. 4 international experts were invited to give key-note speech. Hangzhou Tourism Committee invited international experts to attend forum of “Hangzhou as International Tourism Destination City” on the morning of 16 August, vice mayor of Hangzhou government Xiangqin、vice director of Hangzhou tourism committee Li Hong、director of CRTR Bihu Wu and 17 international experts attended the conference, gave significant advices and contributed to branding Hangzhou to an international tourism destination city.
Meanwhile International Tourism Studies Association (ITSA), the first China-based global academic association on tourism research in the world was founded in Hangzhou on August 15th 2006 by19 founding members all over the world, and headquartered at Peking University in Beijing. ITSA is the first China-based global academic association on tourism research in the world that breaks the situation of long-term domination of tourism academic associations by Europe &USA countries, indicating rapid development in Asia, particularly the development of tourism industry and academic studies in China.
Professor Haiyan Song, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Professor Alon Gelbman from Israel
Professor Tuncay Neyisci from Akdeniz University Turkey
relationship between tourists and landscape at Jinshanjia
