The Fragrant Hills Summit Comes Home to Haidian, Delegates from over 50 nations gather to explore the future of tourism.From June 1 to 4,the WTCF 2026 Beijing Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit will be held at Zhongguancun International Innovation Center in Haidian District.
Hosted by the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) and jointly organized by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism and the People’s Government of Haidian District, Beijing, the summit themed "Smart Tourism Better Future" focuses on the in-depth integration of digital and intelligent technologies with the tourism industry, exploring boundless possibilities for the development of tourism in the future.
Beijing is the birthplace of the Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit and home to the secretariat of the World Tourism Cities Federation. Initiated by Beijing together with world-famous tourist cities including Barcelona, Berlin, Dubai and Los Angeles, the federation is the world’s first international tourism organization featuring cities as its core members.
After years of absence, the summit returns to Haidian.It is not only a homecoming,but also an upgrade of brand influence.
Embracing this global cultural and tourism event with an open demeanor of "Fragrant Hills Summit Homecoming, Global Haidian Welcomes the World", Haidian stands ready to greet guests from across the globe.
Painting a scroll of four seasons with oriental aesthetics
the unique charm of Haidian lies in its landscapes and mountains, blends with profound cultural heritage, and shines brightly through technological innovation.
This is home to the clustered scenic complex of the "Three Hills and Five Gardens". The Summer Palace, the world’s most intact preserved imperial retreat and garden, hosts migratory birds resting by Kunming Lake in spring, allows leisurely cruises along the South Long River in summer, and presents the exclusive spectacle of "Golden Light Piercing the Arches" at the Seventeen-Arch Bridge around the winter solstice, where sunlight streams precisely through the archways, gilding the bridge like a sheet of gold leaf. Boasting a forest coverage rate of 96%, Fragrant Hills Park is dyed with fiery red leaves in autumn, forming the most stunning natural palette of Beijing. The story of Cao Xueqin writing his masterpiece at the foot of the mountain further endows these woodlands with profound humanistic warmth. Ecological gems such as Cuihu Wetland and Phoenix Ridge scatter across western Beijing. With 143 parks and a forest coverage rate of 35.56%, the landscape of "mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands and lakes" is no longer merely a conceptual phrase on paper.
Artistic Charm of a Cultural City
Haidian is a profound "City of Culture". It houses 1 World Cultural Heritage site — the Summer Palace, 1 National Archaeological Site Park — the Old Summer Palace Ruins Park, 329 immovable cultural relics and 36 museums. In 2025, the per capita floor area of public cultural service facilities in Haidian District reached 0.486 square meters, with a total floor area of 1.5183 million square meters. Behind these figures lie the extraordinary years told by 210,000 pieces and sets of cultural relics in the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, the dedication of ancient book restorers at the National Library of China Ancient Books Museum, and the profound academic heritage embodied by the Tsinghua University Art Museum.
Renowned art institutions including the Beijing Dance Academy are rooted here. Premium theatrical productions such as “Cao Xueqin” and “If Life Were Just Like the First Encounter” have stepped onto domestic and international stages from this land. Home to 37 universities and colleges, including top-tier institutions Peking University and Tsinghua University, Haidian is always brimming with youthful creativity and vibrant vitality.
A New Cultural & Tourism Experience Empowered by Technology
The most distinctive hallmark of Haidian is "Revitalizing Culture with Technology".
Digital modeling and MR immersive experience at the Three Hills and Five Gardens Culture and Art Center, as well as the Digital Revival project of the Forty Scenes of the Old Summer Palace, recreate the prosperous landscapes of a century ago in the digital cloud, infusing brand-new vitality into traditional culture with technology. During the summit, Haidian has specially designed two inspection routes linking representative landmarks in cultural tourism, science and technology, education and other fields, allowing guests to perceive how the district integrates historical heritage with scientific and innovative genes along the journey.
Led by Digital Intelligence: Embracing High-quality Development of Future Tourism
This summit puts forward the concept of "Future Tourism" for the first time.It will release on-sitethe "Top Ten Technological Application Scenarios in Beijing’s Cultural and Tourism Sector".
More than 40 leading enterprises including Alibaba, Douyin Group and Tencent Technology will showcase the latest achievements in smart cultural tourism, AI applications and immersive experiences, presenting a grand feast of integration between technology and tourism for global cultural and tourism practitioners.
Founded in 2012, the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) now boasts 263 member institutions. As its annual flagship event, the Fragrant Hills Tourism Summit has successfully held 12 previous sessions in cities including Beijing, Chongqing, Los Angeles, Helsinki and Hong Kong. The upcoming summit is expected to gather over 300 representatives from more than 50 countries. Attendees will include leaders of international organizations such as the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Global Tourism Economic Forum, International Air Transport Association (IATA) and South Pacific Tourism Organisation, mayors of overseas cities like Cairo and Athens, as well as tourism authority officials from London, Seoul, Brussels, Buenos Aires and other international cities.
When the ancient gardens of the Three Hills and Five Gardens meet the innovative engine of Zhongguancun;When historical cultural heritage converges with the digital wave,Haidian is craftingan exceptional model of future tourism.
From June 1 to 4,Haidian, with its landscapes, profound culture and cutting-edge technology all ready,welcomes delegates from the global cultural and tourism community. Let us jointly explore new tracks for digital and smart cultural tourism,and embrace the high-quality development of future tourism hand in hand.
