The third-largest country in the world, China is bounded to the north by the deserts of Mongolia, to the west by the inhospitable Tibetan plateau and the Himalaya, and to the east by the East and South China seas. China's 22 provinces and five autonomous regions are governed from Beijing, along with some 5000 islands. Hong Kong and Macau have returned to the fold as Special Administrative Regions (SAR). Disputed territories are dotted near and far around China's south-east coast. Taiwan - a festering dispute that flares up from time to time - is the best known. Then there's the oil-rich Spratly Island group which every country in the region wants to suck dry, the Diaoyutai Islands (known as Senkaku to the Japanese), the Paracels (or Xisha, if China gets its way), and the Pescadores (or Penghu). China's climate ranges from bitterly cold to unbearably hot, and a whole lot in between. Temperatures in the north can drop to -40°C (-40°F) in winter (December-March) and rise to 38°C (100°F) in summer (May-August).
Population
1,286,975,468 (July 2003 est.)
Area
9,596,960 sq km
Ethnicity/ Race
Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, an
Major Languages
Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), W
Religion
Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Muslim 1%-2%, Christian 3%-4%
UNWTO announces winners of the first UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement
The Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), Mr. Shao Qiwei, and the founder of the international hotel chain Meliá Hotels, Mr. Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, have been named as the first winners of the UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement.
The UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement was established in 2012 as an annual award recognizing those individuals who have demonstrated excellence throughout their tourism careers and who serve as inspirational role models.
“UNWTO is extremely proud to award Mr. Qiwei, Chairman of CNTA, and Mr. Escarrer, founder of Meliá Hotels International, the Award for Lifetime Achievement,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.
“Mr. Qiwei has played a pivotal role in the development of Chinese domestic and international tourism since taking up his position as Chairman of CNTA and President of the China Tourism Association (CTA),” said Mr. Rifai. “Under his leadership, China has become one of the world’s tourism leaders, contributing also to the growing political recognition of the sector,” he added.
The panel of judges highlighted Mr. Qiwei’s involvement in identifying tourism as a ‘strategic pillar’ of China’s economy by the Chinese Government; a decision pinpointed by UNWTO as one of the factors behind the country’s extraordinary tourism success of recent years.
Congratulating Mr. Escarrer, Mr. Rifai said: “This award recognizes Mr. Escarrer's leadership and vision in promoting a responsible tourism sector. Gabriel Escarrer established Meliá Hotels International in 1956 at the age of 21, a hotel chain which is today one of the largest in the world, sharing the benefits of tourism with his employees and society.”
In addition to his business expertise, the panel of judges praised Mr. Escarrer for his pioneering work in corporate social responsibility at a time when this was far from most businessperson’s minds, particularly his early commitment to employee working conditions.
The UNWTO Awards for Lifetime Achievement will be presented on 15 November during the UNWTO Awards Ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey. The winners of the UNWTO Ulysses Prize for Excellence in the Creation and Dissemination of Knowledge and the UNWTO Ulysses Awards for Excellence and Innovation in Tourism will also be awarded in Istanbul.
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