9 月17 日（星期二）

9 月18 日（星期三）*

9 月19 日（星期四）*

*設有其他同步會議及工作坊

The Global Tourism Economy Forum

Forum Chairman Mr. Ho Hau Wah led delegation to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia In promotion of Global Tourism Economy Forum

Preparation of the second edition of Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTE-Forum), which will be held at the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre from 17-19 September, is in full swing. In May 2013, a delegation led by Forum Chairman Mr. Ho Hau-wah, visited Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia. The official visit aimed at deepening and facilitating economic, trade and tourism cooperation across the Asian region, as well as promoting the advantage of GTE-Forum as an effective platform to open new doors to the burgeoning tourism market in China. Apart from inviting official and trade organisations of respective countries to form delegations to participate in GTE-Forum, Mr. Ho also extended official invitations to the Ministers of Tourism to speak at the event.

Mr. Ho met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Minister of Tourism of respective countries during the visit and exchanged their views on tourism and economic issues of mutual concerns, as well as strengthening of cooperation between China, Macau and these countries in tourism, talent development and transportation aspects, targeting the establishment of closer tourism partnership between Macau, China and its neighboring countries and uniting fellow Asian countries to drive the development of tourism economy in the region.

The annual Global Tourism Economy Forum was established to drive a new chapter in the tourism industries across the world with a China focus. Conceived by the China Chamber of Tourism, hosted by the Macau SAR Government and coordinated by the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre, the Forum is an interactive discussion platform designed to capture a macro view of the interplay between tourism and other major economies, and the momentum that each builds upon the growth of the other.

Through discussions between delegates and tourism stakeholders, the forum will uncover a wealth of opportunities in the industry, as well as their power to drive social and economic development. By bridging the economic advantages and resources of the East with the innovation and expertise of the West, the forum aims to spark beneficial partnerships that have the power to shape the industry towards sustainable growth on a global scale.

Why China? Why Macau?

The world is changing at an astonishing pace. Asia, in particular, has been at the forefront of this transformation and intense growth. One of the characterizing phenomena of the period is a proliferation of tourists driving not only domestic travel, but also global movement of people. With the increased wealth from the East, the travel industry is quickly adjusting and adapting to the new market dynamics, not only to attract visitors to destinations overseas, but also harness investment opportunities from within source markets, such as China.

With its unbeatable location at the gateway to China as well as its leadership position in Asia’s booming tourism economy, Macau is a natural choice for hosting the first Global Tourism Economy Forum.

Over the past decade, Macau has grown at a miraculous pace, with the tourism industry powering this transformation. Comprising a population of 600,000, Macau received a record-breaking 28 million visitors in the year 2011, generating an annual income of MOP$200 billion and 81% of the region’s GDP.

One major reason for Macau’s success is its unique status as China’s only destination for legalised gaming. Fuelled by China’s flourishing wealth and liberalisation, Macau overtook Las Vegas in terms of total gaming revenue in 2006 to become the largest gaming economy in the world.

With the foundations of Macau’s tourism industry firmly in place, the Government of Macau in 2011 launched a directive to add further impetus to the growth of the city’s travel and leisure sectors, including subsidies to local tourism-related businesses. Macau seeks to fully harness its competitive advantages to optimise and internationalise its tourism economy. Cooperation among organisations and regions is vital to improving and expanding the tourism industry across Asia for the benefit of all.