The 8th Sino-European Tourism Symposium and the 13th International Conference on Tourism Development and Trend was held from March 21st to March 25th 2019 in Angers, France. The sponsors of the symposium were University of Angers (France); Ningbo University (China); National Commission for the Geography of Tourism and Leisure in France ; Commission of Tourism Geography, Geographical Society of China(GSC). The event was organized by “UFR ESTHUA Tourism and Culture, University of Angers” and “Ningbo University - University of Angers Joint Institute at Ningbo University”.More than 80 experts and scholars from 6 countries and regions (China, France, Switzerland, Russia, Cyprus, Morocco) gathered in this French historical and tourist city to conduct the academic symposium around the theme of Heritage Innovation : here and there.

Keynote speakors from China included : Prof. Zhang Jie of Nanjing University, Vice Chairman of ITSA, Director of Commission of Tourism Geography, GSC, and Professor at Nanjing University in China; Prof. Wu Bihu of Peking University, Secretary General and Funding Chair of ITSA, Fellow of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism; Prof. Zhang Chaozhi of Sun Yat-Sen University, Fellow of International Association for China Tourism Studies, Secretary of Commission of Tourism Geography, GSC. Combining their own research fields with the current hotspots of tourism research, scholars explained their unique insights regarding heritage cognition, heritage tourism development, heritage protection and innovation, and shared their latest research outcomes.

The Angers International Tourism Festival was held simultaneously by local metripolis tourism administration and Angers University. Prof. Shen Shi-wei of Ningbo Univercity and other Chinese Ph.D candidates of Angers University shared their heritage researches on China in the Public Tourism Forum of the Festival to French residents and tourists. Prof. Zhang Guoyou, Vice-President and Secretary General of GSC acted as head of Chinese delegation, and discussed the further Sino-French geographic acedamic cooperation with French colleagues from the French Association of Geograiphy during the conference. Secretary General of ISTA, Prof. Wu and Vice Chairman of ITSA, Prof. Zhang Jie discussed with Angers University on further collaberation on tourism research and operation during the conference.