WTCF Promotes the Sustainable Development of the Global Tourism Economy

The Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) took place in Macao from 23 - 24 October, 2018. Among more than 1,500 attendees were experts, scholars and industrial representatives from 40 countries and regions. They discussed the new power of China-EU bilateral relations and focused on the cooperation in Guangdong-Macao-Hong Kong Greater Bay Area. The participants had extensive exchanges and in-depth discussions.

Li Baochun, Executive Deputy Secretary General of the World Tourism Cities Federation addresses the opening ceremony

Li Baochun, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the World Tourism Cities Federation addressed the opening ceremony. "On the way to becoming a 'world tourism leisure center', the forum has played an important role in supporting and driving the economic diversification and sustainability of the Macao SAR," said Li Baochun. He stressed that the WTCF was established in the same year as GTEF. The WTCF has attended the forum for five consecutive years since 2014 and concluded a strategic cooperation agreement with GTEF in 2015. The two sides cooperated in a wide range of fields, including academic exchange, forum co-hosting, training, convention & exhibition participation and staff exchange in 2016. He also introduced the remarkable contributions of the WTCF to pro mote the development of the global tourism economy, and invited other attendees to attend the international conferences organized by the WTCF.

He also introduced the intensive moves and remarkable contributions of the WTCF to promote the development of the global tourism economy, and invited other attendees to attend the international conferences organized by the WTCF.

The officiating guests of GTEF 2018 start the opening ceremony

On 23 October, as a supporter of GTEF 2018, the WTCF organized a forum themed "Festivals-Bridging Traditions and Tourism".

The WTCF organizes a forum themed "Festivals-Bridging Traditions and Tourism"

Representatives of the WTCF's city members discuss festivals' role in driving tourism with experts

The session was hosted by Li Xiang, a member of the WTCF Expert Committee and a professor at the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Temple University. Among the participants were Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt FRGS FRAS, Professor of International Tourism Management at FH Westküste, and Director and Founder of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute; Signe Jungersted, Director of Development, Wonderful Copenhagen; Martin McDermott, First Secretary of Scottish Affairs at the British Embassy in China; Alexandros M. Modiano, Deputy Mayor of Athens; Lindsay Turner, Research Professor at the College of Business, University of Victoria and Jan Vapaavuori, Mayor of Helsinki. They discussed how traditional cultural festivals drive the economic growth and development of the urban tourism economy. Vapaavuori shared a case of traditional festivals and a case of modern activities, with emphasis on innovative festivals integrating music, holiday, carnival and food. He pointed out that these festivals have boosted the number of young tourists to Helsinki.

2018 coincides with EU-China Tourism Year. The WTCF took an active part in the forum. Through the platform, the WTCF will play its role as a practical exchange platform, further guide and advance China's business and cultural exchanges with the EU and foreign countries, enhance China-EU tourism facilitation, create opportunities for the tourism development of foreign countries, enhance the mutual understanding between Chinese people and European people, increase the number of tourists paying exchange visits and promote the sustainable development of the global tourism economy.

About GTEF

The Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) is hosted by the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture, Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), initiated and co-organized by the China Chamber of Tourism under the authorization of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), coordinated by the Global Tourism Economy Research Center, and sup ported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China, ACFIC, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao Special Administrative Region, the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the European Travel Commission (ETC).

Since starting in 2012, the forum has attracted more than 8,000 participants from 83 countries and regions, received 105 domestic delegations, and invited 437 world-renowned minister-level leaders, business leaders, experts and scholars to share their insightful view.