Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt

Special Advisor (China Outbound)

What excites you about the Mekong Region?

I have been connected for almost 50 years now with China’s tourism, economy and culture. However, in the 21st century the other riparian countries of the Mekong have also gained in importance and global influence. It is fascinating to see how the different influences and cultural interactions have shaped distinct identities. Tourism as an instrument of peace can help to support the cooperation within the region but also between the Mekong Region and the rest of the world.

Tell us about your Background

I grew up and studied in West-Berlin, Germany, with first visits to Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong already in the 1970s. As a publisher, bookseller, tour operator, organiser of events, exhibitions and fairs and in the new millennium as Professor for International Tourism Management and Founder of the COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute East and Southeast Asia have been the center of my economic and scientific life. I retired from university and I am happy that after the pandemic all my energy can go into helping to achieve a sustainable development of tourism in the region.

How do you want to make an impact for the region?

The paradigm of Meaningful Tourism is a powerful tool to we developed during the pandemic to achieve more quality, benefits and satisfaction for all stakeholders in tourism. With trainings, publications, consulting, workshops and research I look forward to help the region to move away from Arrival Numbers as main KPI towards a concentration on a form of tourism, which cherishes quality more than quantity and give more people a chance to benefit from it.