Mr. Liu Shijun is a seasoned travel and tourism professional with nearly 40 years of experience spanning both private and public sectors. Before joining UN Tourism, he served as Vice Chair and Secretary-General of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA), where he led the alliance’s establishment and growth into a global non-governmental, non-profit tourism organization with 252 members across 45 countries and regions. Under his leadership, initiatives such as the WTA Xianghu Dialogue were successfully launched, strengthening the alliance’s influence and member engagement. Previously, at the former China National Tourism Administration (CNTA, now the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China), Mr. Liu held senior roles in marketing, international cooperation, industry supervision, tourism standardization and trade association management, including Director-General for Marketing & International Cooperation, Deputy Director-General for Industry Supervision & Management and Tourism Quality Management Offices and Director for China National Tourist Offices in Sydney and New Delhi. A recognized leader in tourism regulation, he contributed to the establishment of China’s tourism standardization system, overseeing key initiatives such as the Star-rating for Hotels and launching national contests for hospitality and tour guide professionals. As Secretary-General of the China Tourism Association (CTA), he was responsible for management of national trade associations namely the China Association of Travel Services (CATS), China Tourist Hotels Association (CTHA), China Tourist Attractions Association (CTAA), China Tourism Automobile and Cruise Association (CTACA) as well as their subordinate chapters.