The development of digitalization and innovation in technology are transforming the way the tourism sector operates, participants said at the parallel forums of 2019 WTA·Xianghu Dialogue.

Xianghu Dialogue was held in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province with two parallel forums taking place on Friday afternoon, respectively under the themes of "Destination Marketing and Big Data" and "Technology Advancement and Industries Innovation."

Dickie Liang-Hong Ke, Sloan Fellow at London Business School, hosted one of the panels and shared ideas about "How to empower the transformation of culture and tourism industry through disruptive innovation in technology" with five panelists: Pang Xinhua, deputy director of CGTN's Editorial Department; Xavier Veyry, CEO of AXA China; Shu Zhan, general manager of Tencent Culture and Tourism Industry; documentary director Wang Chongxiao; and Luo Gang, CEO of Airbus China Innovation Center.

Innovative technologies such as computers, digital media and communication technology are disrupting almost every industry, and how to manage these transformations by making good use of innovation will be a key question for many corporations to take into consideration, said Ke.

Outside the main conference hall lies a VR zone where people can take a break and immerse themselves in the beautiful views of China via the VR device.

"The scale of China's culture and tourism industry is massive. With the technological development, people are more willing to accept interactive and immersive applications of media technology," said Jiang Lieyi, CEO of Future Plus Education Technologies Co., Ltd.

"When you visit a tourist destination in autumn, you can’t see what it’s like in spring. However, with the VR product, you can view the four seasons of a tourist destination and learn about its culture at the same time. The application of VR technology in tourism is offering extra information and fun for youngsters in particular," Jiang told CGTN.

When it comes to the level of China's innovation, Ke pointed out that there are two indicators to measure innovation: one is input indicator and the other one is output indicator. Overall, the development of China's innovation in the past 20 years is very rapid, and it is catching up to the U.S.

Ke told CGTN that the goal of innovation in technology is to bring benefits to people. He's glad to see that the VR technology can be applied to tourism industry and bring immersive travel experiences to people.

A total of five panels were held during the parallel forums at the Xianghu Dialogue where panelists exchanged ideas about various topics related to the tourism industry. Also, a media salon was organized for discussions on the forward-looking issues and hot topics of tourism development.

The WTA·Xianghu Dialogue is initiated by the World Tourism Alliance (WTA) in partnership with the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC). 

(Cover: People experience the VR product at the 2019 WTA·Xianghu Dialogue held in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, east China's Hangzhou Province, September 20, 2019. /Photo courtesy of World Tourism Alliance)

Reporter: Cui Xingyu

Videographer: Zhang Jiahua, Zhou Jinxi

Video editor: Zhou Jinxi