To commemorate the first anniversary of the 5/12 Sichuan earthquake, the SHTM, United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Sichuan Tourism Administration (STA) staged the Sixth China Tourism Forum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, on 12 and 13 May. The Forum was attended by 300 industry leaders and scholars from around the world.

In his opening address, Mr Jing Xu, the UNWTO's Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, lauded the decision to bring forward the annual event from December to May to support the tourism recovery efforts in Sichuan. He also expressed strong belief in the ability of the Sichuan people to gain strength from the disaster. SHTM Director, Professor Kaye Chon, mentioned that tourism experts from the SHTM visited devastated areas soon after the earthquake to offer advice on tourism recovery and reconstruction efforts. Other eminent guests at the opening ceremony included Ms Yangrong Huang, Vice Governor of Sichuan Province, and Ms Yili Du, Vice Director of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).

In the keynote presentations, Mrs Phornsiri Manoharn, Chairman of the Board of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), shared her thoughts on "Shaping the Future of Tourism in a Turbulent World". Mr Wenxue Wu, Director of the Department of Planning and Finance at CNTA, discussed the planning strategies for tourism recovery in Sichuan Province. Mr Gu Zhang, Director of the STA, spoke on "Theory and Practice for Overall Planning of Tour Routes". Other speakers included Professor Walter Jamieson of the College of Innovation at Thammasat University in Thailand and Mr Dave Vermeulen, Vice President of Resort Operations at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Panel discussions at the Forum covered a variety of topics, including "Tourism Research in China", "Crisis Recovery, Destination Marketing and Destination Management" and "Tourism Education in China".