The Government is committed to advancing Macao’s sustainability as a tourism market, while ensuring a balance between economic development and the quality of local people’s livelihoods, said the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On.

Mr Chui made the remarks on Tuesday (17 October) during a meeting with the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Dr Taleb Rifai, who was in Macao to attend the Global Tourism Economy Forum • Macao 2017 held from 16-17 October.

Ensuring the sustainable development of tourism was an important task for the Government, stressed Mr Chui. The Government was dedicating effort – ranging from policy research to policy implementation – to boosting the sector’s diversification and its sustainable development, so as to enhance the community’s well-being.

With the support of the Central Government, Macao was being positioned as a world centre of tourism and leisure and had been hosting annually the Global Tourism Economy Forum, so as to play a more active role in the regional tourism sector, making use of Macao’s distinctive advantages, stated Mr Chui.

During the meeting, Mr Chui extended his best wishes to Dr Rifai, who is shortly to leave office. Mr Chui said he hoped Dr Rifai would keep in close touch with people in Macao and with the city’s development.

Dr Rifai stated Macao had been a visionary jurisdiction in exploring fresh opportunities for tourism development, and noted the Global Tourism Economy Forum had gained wide recognition for its achievements. He also spoke of the city’s efforts at nurturing a greater number of tourism professionals, and thanked Macao for its contributions to the tourism sector.

The Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific of UNWTO, Mr Xu Jing – who is also UNWTO’s Director – Executive Secretary of the General Assembly and the Executive Council – also attended the meeting.

The Global Tourism Economy Forum was established in 2012, and is hosted by the Macao Government. This year’s edition – the sixth – was held under the theme “Regional Collaboration towards a Better Future”. It gathered  ministerial-level officials, leaders of globally‐renowned corporations, experts and scholars from across the world, in order to explore further tourism collaboration via shared interests and in a mutually-respectful manner.