On September 4, the 2023 China (Zhengzhou) International Tourism City Mayors' Forum, co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the People's Government of Henan Province, opened at the Zhengzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center. It was jointly opened by Wang Kai, Governor of Henan Province, Du Jiang, Member of the Party Group and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Hisham Amner, Minister of Local Development of Egypt. Zhang Xu, President of the World Tourism Alliance, Zhu Shanzhong, Ambassador of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Wang Zhanying, Member of the Standing Committee of the Henan Provincial Committee and Minister of Propaganda, and An Wei, Member of the Standing Committee of the Henan Provincial Committee and Secretary of the Zhengzhou Municipal Committee, attended the opening ceremony.

Du Jiang congratulated on the success of this forum, pointing out that China (Zhengzhou) International Tourism Cities Mayors' Forum has gone through fifteen years, and has become an important platform for exchanging advanced concepts, mutual appreciation of development experience, and seeking common development paths. We are willing to work with friends from all over the world to strengthen the connectivity, mutual trust and mutual benefit among tourism cities, to jointly build a world-oriented and future-oriented tourism city community, and to jointly open up a new situation of global tourism development in the new era through the Mayors' Forum cooperation platform.

In his message, Zhu Shanzhong, on behalf of the Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Mr. Zurab, said that China's reopening of the international tourism industry is a major boost for the tourism sector and the tourism economy. The World Tourism Organization will give full play to its professional advantages, act as a bridge between governments and the United Nations, and work with member countries to shape a better tourism industry and promote the long-term stability and sustainable development of urban tourism.

Wang Zhanying, on behalf of the Henan Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, expressed his warm welcome to the guests from all walks of life. He said, since its inception in 2008, China (Zhengzhou) International Tourism City Mayors Forum has been successfully held seven times, nearly 1,000 mayors of tourism cities participated in this event, to build up the world's tourism city of high-end exchanges and seek common development cooperation platform. We sincerely invite guests from home and abroad to come into Henan more, close to Henan, and feel the source of civilization, the prosperity of humanities, the charm of the landscape, the pureness of customs, the changes of ancient and modern times, deepen exchanges and cooperation, and promote the prosperity of tourism.

With the theme of "Discovering New Dynamics and Promoting Sustainable Development of Tourism Cities", this year's Forum attracted the mayors or representatives of 43 overseas cities and 59 domestic cities, and released for the first time the Zhengzhou Initiative for Global Tourism Cities and other achievements.