The news conference announcing the details of the World Tourism Alliance event, "Xianghu Dialogue 2018", is held in Beijing on Aug 2. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The World Tourism Alliance (WTA) announced on Friday that it will hold its signature event "Xianghu Dialogue 2018" in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, on Sep 9.

With the theme of "Poverty Alleviation and Development -- Shared Responsibilities of World Tourism Community", the event is another important global activity initiated by the WTA since the organization established its headquarters in Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou last December.

Roughly 300 heads of authoritative organizations and renowned experts in relevant industries will gather together to share insights on the current trend of sustainable development, and the social responsibilities of the world tourism industry.

Liu Shijun, secretary-general of the WTA, said that he hoped the meeting would serve as a platform for governments, tourism associations, and companies to share their experiences and know-how, thus enabling tourism to better serve poverty alleviation and development.

"With the unique ecological and cultural climate of Xianghu, the dialogue will surely live long in the memory for the participants," said Luo Linfeng, deputy head of Xiaoshan district.

In addition, the WTA annual meeting and council meeting will also be held on the day.

Headquartered in Hangzhou, the China-based alliance is a non-governmental and non-profit organization formed by 89 founding members in 2017, primarily comprised of national tourism associations, tourism companies, and think tanks from 29 countries and regions.