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Griffith's Tourism Confucius Institute will combine with the new Griffith Institute for Tourism to provide the academic backdrop for high-level bilateral discussions next year.

International tourism experts will focus on how the industry can contribute to the Chinese Dream, as espoused by new Chinese President Xi Jinping, during three days of dialogue from 13th to 15th November 2014.

Themes of national renewal, rejuvenation, development, prosperity and peace are central to President Xi's Chinese Dream, as are greater engagement between China and other nations through international trade and economic development.

Confucius Institute Deputy Director (Tourism) Dr Peiyi Ding explains "without doubt, tourism can be better planned and managed to realise aspirations of the Chinese Dream.

"Australia and China can use it as a platform to move forward and achieve new goals in tourism."

More than 100 representatives of Australian and Chinese Governments, education and research institutions and from the tourism industry will be in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast to debate the key issues impacting on the Australia-China relationship.

The Tourism Confucius Institute was established in April, 2011, under an agreement between Griffith University and the Office of Chinese Language Council International in China, and in partnership with the China University of Mining and Technology.

In addition to promoting the learning of Chinese language and culture at Griffith University and in the broader community, it also seeks to build and deepen links with China in the field of tourism.

The Griffith Institute for Tourism, which opens in January 2014, will extend and intensify Griffith's tourism research program through international collaborations and a vibrant research culture built around a program of workshops and seminars.

Griffith University Professor of Tourism Research Dave Weaver explained "on a domestic level, it is expected that more than two billion tourist trips will have been made in China by the end of this year, while China is forecasted to be the fourth-largest source of outbound travel in the world by 2020, with 100 million travellers.

"How does this international travel influence the Chinese Dream? Are the domestic trips an expression of the Chinese Dream for the travellers, or a pathway to the Dream? These are some of the questions that will be explored at next year's East-West Dialogue."

Professor Susanne Becken, the founding Director of the new Griffith Institute for Tourism, said tourism is playing an increasingly important role in bilateral cultural exchanges and economic development between the two countries.

Australia hosted 827,624 Chinese group visitors in 2012. The Chinese inbound tourism market has become the third largest market for Australia.

The Dialogue will also address issues like tourism costs in China, aspirations and attitudes of Chinese tourists, education priorities in Chinese tourism, Chinese characteristics of ecotourism and how the Chinese Dream is reflected in tourism marketing.

4th September 2013 - TOURISM MUST PAY ITS DUES TO THE ENVIRONMENT

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