The Global Tourism Economy Forum Macau 2016 (GTEF) brought together world and regional leaders of tourism for discussions on key topics for the sector in Studio City in Macao from 15 to 16 October 2016.

GTEF was established in 2012 and is based in Macao, taking advantage of the city’s proximity to Mainland China; Macao’s strategic position in Asia; and the city’s leading position in the region’s burgeoning tourism economy.

This annual event is hosted by the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); a United Nations agency. GTEF gathers the world’s most influential business leaders, decision-makers and academics to discuss how different industries can capitalise on business opportunities brought by tourism development, thus contributing to economic growth.

GTEF 2016 took as its theme “The Growing Consumer Class – Rethinking and Reshaping the Future Tourism Landscape”.

Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of UNWTO, said in his speech at the opening ceremony that it had been estimated that by 2030 approximately 60 percent of world visitors would be travelling to emerging markets rather than developed ones.

Mr Rifai additionally noted that China in particular has ever more tourists travelling overseas, “fast becoming the main source market for many destinations”.

Also during GTEF 2016, a report on the regional industry – “Asia Tourism Trends 2016 Edition” – issued by UNWTO and the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre – showed China and Asia-Pacific’s importance as a centre for inbound tourism. The report said Asia Pacific ranks second among most-visited regions, after Europe.

The trends report stated that between 2005 and 2015, arrivals to Asia and the Pacific increased by an average of 6 percent per year, compared to the world average of 4 percent.

The document also noted that China is by far the leading tourism earner in Asia, with US$114 billion (MOP910.6 billion) in tourism receipts reported in 2015, putting it in second place in the world ranking of receipts.

Pansy Ho Chiu King, Vice Chairman of the Global Tourism Economy Forum, said in the report that by 2030, 1.8 billion travellers are expected to cross international borders, compared to the 1.2 billion that made such journeys in 2015.

EU-China Year of Tourism

István Ujhelyi presides over the EU’s “Europe-China One Belt One Road Culture and Tourism Committee”

2018 has been declared the European Union-China Year of Tourism.

The European Travel Commission – and the European Tourism Association – on 3 November 2016 in London gave a presentation on the initiative. The European Tourism Association is the leading trade association for tour operators and suppliers with business in European destinations.

István Ujhelyi, a Member of the European Parliament and who attended GTEF 2016, mentioned the planned EU-China Year of Tourism 2018 during a forum session called “Face to Face, Ministers and Private Sector CEOs – Harnessing the 1 Billion+ Opportunities”.

On the sidelines of GTEF 2016, he explained to Macao Image the ideas behind the EU-China Year of Tourism. It is a World Bridge Tourism project sponsored by the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union.

“We decided to have a European Union-China tourism promotion year because we need more promotion about our respective cities, about our culture, about our tourism destinations,” he said.

“For example, we would like to see more tourists from the European Union going to Macao,” he added.

Mr Ujhelyi is also President of the “Europe-China One Belt One Road Culture and Tourism Committee”. The latter was set up in December 2015 to support the EU’s efforts in co-operating with China’s “Belt and Road” initiative.

Mr Ujhelyi said: “The ‘Belt and Road’ initiative is a very, very important new Chinese dream about the future: and this committee would like to serve this dream, and help build this bridge between the European Union and China.”

Secretary-General of UNWTO Taleb Rifai addresses the audience