Following the grand opening of the 10th Global Tourism Economy Forum • Macao 2023 (GTEF or the “Forum”) this morning (21 September) at the Galaxy International Convention Center in Macao, the program officially began. Ministers of culture and tourism, industry leaders, decision-makers, scholars and stakeholders from different tourism sectors engaged in in-depth discussions around the theme “Destination 2030: Unlocking the Power of Tourism for Business and Development”.
Discussing the trends of the tourism economy
The 10th GTEF features 14 panel sessions, allowing participants to spot new trends and opportunities arising in the tourism economy. In the afternoon (21 September), the 10th GTEF started with a session held in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), moderated by Special Advisor to the UNWTO Secretary-General and Founder & President of ANITA MENDIRATTA & ASSOCIATES, Anita Mendiratta. In this session, representatives from public and private tourism sectors had an in-depth exchange of views on the topic “Towards Destination 2030: Investing in People, Planet, and Prosperity”, and discussed how to achieve growth and sustainable development in the tourism industry. The panelists include CEO of Arsenale SPA, Paolo Barletta; Executive Director of UNWTO, Natalia Bayona; Minister of Tourism of Brazil, Celso Sabino de Oliveira; Secretary of State for Tourism, Commerce and Services of Portugal, Nuno Fazenda; Secretary of State for Tourism of Spain, Rosana Morillo; Minister of Tourism of Italy, Daniela Garnero Santanchè, and President of Puy du Fou, Nicolas de Villiers.
The Next Decade for China and the world
President of the China Tourism Academy, Dai Bin, delivered a keynote speech on “Tourism in the Next Decade: China and the World”. President Dai delved into China’s tourism economy, examining its lessons ranging from a focus on domestic tourism and fostering niche markets such as urban leisure and rural tourism to the advancements in tourism infrastructure, digital innovation, and green initiatives. In doing so, Mr. Dai showcased how trends in China are shaping the global tourism landscape.
The session held in cooperation with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) was themed around “Leading the Way: Industry-Driven Innovations for High-Quality Development”. Moderated by WTTC Senior Vice President Maribel Rodriguez, the session invited Vice President of Industry and Regulatory Affairs, Amadeus IT Group, Svend Leirvaag; Executive Vice President of China Southern Air Holding Company Limited, Qu Guangji; and Vice President of Jinjiang International Group, Zhou Wei, as panelists.
After that, Vice Chairman of the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre, Xu Jing, presided over a special interview on “New Features of Chinese Outbound Tourism”, where Director of Check-in Asia in Malaysia, Gary Bowerman, elaborated on the latest trends in the tourism market of Mainland China.
Insights about the tourism potential of the Greater Bay Area
The last panel session on the first day was powered by China Daily and moderated by Multimedia Director of China Daily Asia Pacific, DJ Clark. This session began with a keynote speech by Chairman of China Tourism Group Corporation Limited, Chen Yin. The speakers include Dean and Chair Professor and Walter & Wendy Kwok Family Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kaye Chon, and Executive Director of the European Travel Commission and Honorary Vice Chairman of GTEF, Eduardo Santander. Centering around the topic “Unlocking the Potential of the Greater Bay Area with Special Focus on Macao-Hengqin Integration”, they shared insights into this huge development opportunity.
Investment and Financing Conference held concurrently
Multiple parallel sessions took place today. The 2nd GTEF ∙ Investment and Financing Conference presented the “Introduction and Sharing of Macao Hoteliers & Innkeepers Enterprises” and “Introduction and Sharing of Macao Cultural and Tourism Innovation Enterprises” in the morning, followed by the “Presentation of Tourism Investment Institutions” and “Business Meetings” in the afternoon, with the aim of expanding investment and cooperation channels for members of the local and global cultural tourism industry.
Live broadcast engages over 1 million online views
GTEF 2023 is convened in a hybrid online-offline format and is live broadcast throughout the event. Replays will be available for European and US time zones so that participants around the world will be able to replay the brilliant remarks by 80 ministerial officials, leaders in business and cultural tourism sectors, experts and scholars, through cross-sector platforms that transcend geographical and temporal boundaries. The Forum engaged over 1 million online views in total on the first day.
More insightful discussions to unfold
The third day’s program tomorrow (22 September) will feature discussions on the innovative measures for high-quality and sustainable tourism development from different perspectives. Inspiring activities in the morning include “Sustainability in Focus: Navigating the Future of Tourism in Asia”, a session held in cooperation with the UNWTO Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific; “A Renewed Vision: Reshaping Tourism in Europe”, a session held in cooperation with the European Travel Commission; “Redefining City Tourism for the Next Decade”, a session held in cooperation with the World Tourism Cities Federation; “Bridging Nations through Art and Culture”; and “Italy as a Destination for Asian Tourists”.
For more information about GTEF including program activities and distinguished speakers, please visit www.gte-forum.comand follow its official social media channels for the latest news.
