The 22nd General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization will convene in Chengdu, Sichuan from September 11 to 16, it was announced Thursday by China National Tourism Administration and Sichuan Province People’s Government.

The meeting will attract over 800 senior tourism officials and high-level representatives of the private tourism sector.

The meeting will?announce a new secretary general for the UNWTO, report the latest tourism development in the world and make predictions and plans.

It is the first for the biennial event to come to western China.

“China’s importance as a driver of tourism development cannot be understated. It is not only the world’s fourth most visited country, but the number one source market in the world, as well as a prominent leader in domestic tourism. These numbers, alongside the Chinese authorities continued recognition of tourism as a strategic pillar of the national economy and an effective development tool, make China a fitting host for the next UNWTO General Assembly“, said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai when announcing the host city for the 22nd session at the 21st session in Medellín, Colombia in 2015.