The 62nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting convened in Seattle, the United States from 4 to 5 August 2023. Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) attended the meeting on behalf of Macao, China as a guest economy, to exchange tourism information and work plans, as well as present the strategies adopted by the Macao SAR Government to foster smart tourism development.
Following the participation in the 61st TWG Meeting in Philippines this April, MGTO Deputy Director Ricky Hoi and the delegate of DSEDT engaged in the TWG Meeting in the United States. The two-day program included an opening session, discussions on plans, exchange of information and closing session among other activities. The discussions revolved around the four priority areas of the APEC Tourism Strategic Plan as follows: digital transformation, human capital development, travel facilitation and competitiveness, as well as sustainable tourism and economic growth.
During the meeting on 5 August, Ricky Hoi delivered an overview of Macao’s tourism situation reflected by the latest figures, as well as visitor arrivals to Macao from APEC economies in the first half of 2023. He also shared the smart measures adopted by MGTO to enhance visitors’ travel experiences, such as the launch of artificial intelligence customer services in multiple languages stage by stage, smart tour guide planning and other interactive features.
Through participation in the APEC TWG Meeting, MGTO exchanged the latest updates on the tourism industry with other attending economies, learned about the new activities of TWG and engaged in discussions on TWG’s work plans, to deepen Macao’s involvement in international tourism organizations.
Since the Macao SAR was granted the status of “Guest Economy” in the APEC Tourism Working Group in 2001, MGTO and DSEDT have been attending the Tourism Working Group Meetings regularly. During the past three years (2020 – 2022) through the pandemic, their participation in meetings became virtual online.
The APEC Tourism Working Group was formed in 1991 for tourism administrators of APEC economies to share information and exchange views, serving as a platform that supports cooperation and development of various destinations in tourism and trade.
