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The 10th Global Tourism Economy Forum held at the Galaxy International Convention Center in Macao from 20th to 23rd September delivered a series of innovative and inspiring high-quality exchanges and discussions. During the three-day Forum, a diverse range of activities took place, including keynote speeches, panel sessions, special interviews, engaging fireside chats, insightful case sharing and productive business matching sessions.

These sessions enriched the event and infused new ideas and momentum into the robust development of the global tourism economy, with the goal to benefit all stakeholders by harnessing new opportunities and enhancing their quality of life.

Prominent figures officiate the opening ceremony
Themed around "Destination 2030: Unlocking the Power of Tourism for Business and Development", the 10th GTEF gathered over 100 ministers of culture and tourism, industry leaders, decision-makers, scholars, and stakeholders from different tourism sectors. In the context of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, participants were encouraged to "think beyond tourism" and explore opportunities for the recovery of the global tourism economy. They discussed how to construct a resilient, high-quality, and people-oriented environment for the tourism industry in the new normal through innovative and sustainable international cooperation.

Guests present their addresses at GTEF's 10th anniversary
The Secretary-General of the UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili, underscored in his opening speech "The Global Tourism Economy Forum is set to be the premier platform for cooperation between Governments and the private sector in the area of tourism for development. By creating the 'Davos of Tourism', we can shape the course of the sector's future around the pillars of jobs, education, innovation and investments."

Minister of Tourism of Italy, Daniela Garnero Santanchè, delivered a speech on behalf of Italy as the Partner Country of GTEF sharing "I am proud to be here to represent my country, Italy. We, the Italians, live in a small country, but full of timeless, unique and unforgettable beauties and traditions. We are home to 58 UNESCO World Heritage sites and represent one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. We invite you all to use this special edition of the Forum to emphasize the valuable role of tourism in fostering cultural, social, and economic exchanges and synergies. Tourism is crucial to spread the values of peace and friendship among people from all over the world and is crucial to achieving the sustainable development goals."

During the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of GTEF, Pansy Ho, delivered a setting-the-scene keynote speech on "Charting a Visionary Path: Unlocking Tourism's Potential at the Global Tourism Economy Forum". Then Former Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of China, Former Secretary-General of the Boao Forum for Asia and Honorary Chairman of GTEF, Long Yongtu, made a keynote speech on "China & the World Towards a New Vision", followed by a keynote speech on "Collaboration for Prosperity and Development" by President and Chief Executive Officer of the World Travel & Tourism Council and Honorary Chairman of GTEF, Julia Simpson.

Inject new ideas and momentum to unleash tourism's potential
The GTEF is hosted by the Secretariat for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR Government, in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), co-organized by the China Chamber of Tourism and Macao Government Tourism Office, and coordinated by the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre (GTERC). The GTEF's supporting units include the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), the European Travel Commission (ETC), The Association of Chinese Enterprises in Macao (MCEA), The World Tourism Alliance (WTA),  and the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA).

Since its inception in 2012, the GTEF has successfully established itself as an influential high-level cooperation platform to promote sustainable development in the global tourism industry with a focus on China. With the great support and the active participation of its partners and supporting units, this year, the GTEF presented diverse activities with 14 panel sessions, aiming to inject new ideas and momentum into the robust development of the global cultural tourism economy.

The Forum facilitates new partnerships in tourism
GTEF Vice Chairman and Secretary-General Pansy Ho expressed in her concluding remarks, "China advocates building a community with a shared future for mankind and sharing China's opportunities with the rest of the world. In the past decade, we have attracted tourism industry practitioners across the globe to this international forum originating in China. We will take it to the international stage in the next decade, bringing GTEF to other parts of the world, raising both the voice and influence of China's tourism industry internationally. We will continue to provide an equal and inclusive platform for stakeholders worldwide and inspire the global tourism industry with innovative ideas."

The year 2023 commemorates the 10th anniversary of GTEF, and it concludes on a remarkable note. With 2,300 participants on-site and active engagement of over 2 million online participants across more than 38 countries/regions and 84 cities/provinces in China, this milestone edition has made a lasting impression.

Image top: Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Forum Chairman of GTEF, Ho Hau Wah; and Secretary-General of UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili join other officials and Leading Partners in celebrating the 10th Anniversary of GTEF; Image above: Secretary-General of UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili gives an opening address

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