On 21 December 2019, in order to promote the high-quality construction and development of Hainan International Tourism Consumption Centre, the "Tourism Education Alliance for Countries along the Maritime Silk Road", which was guided by the Department of Education of Hainan Province, hosted by Hainan University, sponsored by China Tourism Group, and jointly organized by the School of Tourism of Hainan University and the Research Institute of China Tourism Group Co. "Forum and 2019 (the third) Hainan Tourism Forum was held at the International Academic Exchange Centre of Hainan University. Lv Youqing, Director and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of China Tourism Group Limited, Professor Wang Chongmin, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Hainan University, attended the forum, Professor Xu Yanqing, Deputy Director of Social Sciences of Hainan University, Associate Professor Wu Qiaohong, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Tourism, Johan Afendi Bin Ibrahim, Dean of College of Tourism, University of Northern Malaysia, and Professor Zhu Zhu, Leading Professor of "100 People Plan" of Guangzhou University, attended the forum. Professor Zhu Hong, a leading professor of the Guangzhou University "Hundred People Plan", Professor Liu Peng from the School of Hotel Management of Cornell University, Professor Lei Haisu, Director of the Research Institute of China Tourism Group Ltd, heads of tourism colleges and universities from Zhongshan University, Xiamen University, Hainan University, Beijing Second Institute of Foreign Languages, Qingdao University, Hainan Normal University, Hainan Tropical Ocean College, Sanya College and other famous universities in China. More than 150 experts, scholars and postgraduates attended the forum. The forum was presided over by Professor Guo Qiang, Dean of the College of Tourism of Hainan University.

The theme of the forum was "The High Quality Development of Hainan International Tourism Consumption Centre", with three sessions including an inauguration and signing ceremony, keynote speeches by invited guests and live dialogue with guests.

At the unveiling and signing ceremony, Professor Guo Qiang, Dean of the College of Tourism of Hainan University, firstly extended a sincere welcome and heartfelt thanks to the leaders and guests, and introduced the positive achievements made by the College of Tourism in recent years in the areas of tourism management doctorate, post-doctoral station in business administration, academician workstation, first-class undergraduate construction, national subject declaration, social services, etc.

Fig. 1 Speech by President Guo Qiang

Wu Qiaohong, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Tourism, introduced the background, objectives and vision for the establishment of the Journal of Tourism's Hainan University Theory Innovation Workshop, and made arrangements for the workshop's work plan for 2020.

Fig. 2 Introduction to the workshop by Wu Qiaohong, Associate Editor

Next, Professor Wang Chongmin, Standing Committee Member of the Party Committee and Vice President of Hainan University, Professor Guo Qiang, Dean of the School of Tourism, Professor Xu Yanqing, Deputy Director of the Social Science Department of Hainan University, Professor Xie Yanjun of the School of Tourism, Professor Wu Qiaohong, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Tourism, Professor Zhang Lingyun of Beijing Second Institute of Foreign Languages, Professor Zhu Hong of Guangzhou University and Professor Ma Bo of Qingdao University jointly inaugurated the "Journal of Tourism" Hainan University Theory Innovation Workshop and the "Hainan University Tourism Experience Research and Design Centre".

Fig. 3 Professor Wang Chongmin (4th from left), Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Hainan University, and other guests inaugurate the workshop and research centre

The forum also held a special signing ceremony for the strategic cooperation agreement between the School of Tourism of Hainan University and the Research Institute of China Tourism Group Co., Ltd. The agreement was signed by Guo Qiang, Dean of Tourism of Hainan University and Lei Haisu, President of the Research Institute of China Tourism Group Co. Ltd. research institute assistant director Kong Deyuan, Hainan University humanities and social sciences department deputy director Xu Yanqing, China Tourism Group Hainan regional headquarters general manager, deputy general manager of the travel retail business group, party committee member Wang Xuan, Hainan University tourism college deputy secretary of the party committee Han Liguang (presided over the work) attended and witnessed the signing ceremony. The College of Tourism of Hainan University and the Research Institute of China Tourism Group Limited held a signing ceremony for a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement. According to the agreement, the two sides will follow the principle of "mutual support, hand in hand development", make full use of their respective policy guidance, industry guidance, resource allocation, capital organization and other advantages, build a broader cooperation platform, within the scope of their respective functions, priority for each other to provide a full range of high-quality services, to promote the sustainable development of the cause of both sides. To achieve resource sharing and collaborative innovation between the two sides. It is reported that this is also the first time that the College of Tourism has reached strategic cooperation with a large central enterprise.

Fig. 4 Strategic cooperation agreement signed between the Research Institute of China Tourism Group Limited and the College of Tourism of Hainan University

Lv Youqing (3rd from left), Director and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of China Tourism Group, and Professor Wang Chongmin (3rd from right), Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Hainan University.

In the invited keynote session, five senior scholars from Guangzhou University, Cornell University (USA), Northern University (Malaysia), Sun Yat-sen University, Xiamen University, Hainan University, Beijing Second Institute of Foreign Languages and Qingdao University delivered keynote speeches.

Professor Zhu Hong, one of the leading talents of Guangzhou University's "Hundred Talents Plan", gave a keynote speech on "Opportunities and Challenges for the High Quality Development of Hainan International Tourism Consumption Centre", analysing the current situation and problems of tourism in Hainan, the situation of tourism research at home and abroad, and making suggestions on how to improve the construction of Hainan's international tourism island.

Fig. 5 Professor Zhu Hong's keynote speech

Professor Peng Liu from Cornell University's School of Hotel Management gave a keynote speech on 'Infrastructure Investment and Asset Securitisation', providing a detailed analysis of the development of the tourism and hospitality industry and education to keep pace with the times, the three main profit models of the hospitality industry, the historical opportunities of Hainan and the construction of tourism disciplines, and what is asset securitisation.

Fig. 6 Professor Liu Peng's keynote speech

Johan Afendi Bin Ibrahim, Dean of the College of Tourism, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, gave a keynote speech entitled "The Maritime Silk Road: The Potential of a Tourism Education Cooperation Network between Malaysia and China".

Fig. 7 Keynote address by President Johan Afendi Bin Ibrahim

Professor Fu Zhengping, Executive Vice President of the Institute for Integrated Research on Free Trade Zones at Sun Yat-sen University, gave a keynote speech on 'Understanding the Regularity of Island Economic Development', which took full account of the special characteristics of Hainan's island economic system and targeted strategies for building a free trade port.

Fig. 8 Professor Fu Zhengping's keynote speech

Professor Lin Derong from the Institute of Tourism Planning and Management, School of Management, Xiamen University, gave a keynote speech on "Reflections on the development of tourism on Hainan Island based on the VICE revised model", which analysed the interests of various parties in tourism in Hainan based on the VICE revised model from the perspective of sustainable tourism development.

Fig. 9 Keynote speech by Prof. Derek Lam

Professor Zhang Lingyun, Professor of Beijing Second Foreign Language Institute, gave a keynote speech on "Several "algorithms" for supply-side reform of Hainan International Tourism Consumption Centre", creatively combining mathematics and tourism to build an "algorithm" for Hainan International Tourism Consumption Centre.

Fig. 10 Keynote speech by Professor Zhang Lingyun

Professor Ma Bo, the founding director of Qingdao University's College of Tourism, gave a keynote speech on "Quality Tourism: Theoretical Exploration and Practical Implications", which explored the connotations of quality tourism, pointed out the parts of Hainan's tourism development that need to be improved, and gave corresponding solutions.

Fig. 11 Professor Ma Bo's keynote speech

Professor Xie Yanjun from Hainan University's College of Tourism gave a keynote speech on "Structural Breakthrough Strategies in the Construction of Hainan's International Tourism Consumption Centre", starting from the three major structural contradictions in Hainan's tourism industry and suggesting the need to focus on the cultural effect and reposition Hainan's tourism destination so as to achieve a structural breakthrough.

Fig. 12 Professor Xie Yanjun's keynote speech

In the live dialogue session, there were two topics: "Hainan coastal and island tourism development" and "Sustainable development of rural tourism in Hainan".

The first dialogue was hosted by He Biao, Vice Dean of the College of Tourism, Hainan University, who invited Lei Haisu, President of the China Tourism Group Research Institute, Professor Zhang Lingyun from Beijing Second Institute of Foreign Languages, Chen Yao, Chairman of the Marine Tourism Branch of the China Pacific Society, Qian Wenke, Chief Planner of the Haikou Tourism, Culture and Sports Bureau, and Professor Zhao Quanpeng from the College of Tourism, Hainan University, to actively contribute their ideas on "Hainan's coastal and island tourism development".

Fig. 13 Live dialogue on "Hainan coastal and island tourism development"

The second dialogue was moderated by Professor Fan Shichen from the College of Tourism, Hainan University, who invited Professor Lin Derong from the Institute of Tourism Management and Planning, College of Management, Xiamen University, Professor Ma Bo, Founding Dean of the College of Tourism, Qingdao University, Professor Wu Qiaohong, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Tourism, Chairman Yang Chunhuai of Hainan Zhongyuan Design Agency and Professor Chen Cai, Vice President of the College of Tourism, Hainan Normal University, to contribute to the "Sustainable Development of Rural Tourism in Hainan".

Fig. 14 Live dialogue on "Sustainable development of rural tourism in Hainan"

The forum coincided with a critical period in the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Pilot Zone (Port), and was an opportunity for Hainan University to implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's 4-13 speech and the strategic deployment of the Central Government's Document No. 12 on the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Zone (Port) and the construction of the Hainan International Tourism Consumption Centre. The seminar was attended by experts, scholars and guests from tourism colleges and universities, tourism industry and tourism administration. The event will be held at the University of Hainan and will have a positive impact on the creation of a world-class discipline of "Cultural Tourism".