Global Tourism Economy Forum to Address Resilience and Sustainable Growth
News related to:The Global Tourism Economy Forum · 3 min read
MACAO, Sept. 30, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The 12th Global Tourism Economy Forum • Macao 2026 is set to convene from October 15 to 17, bringing together political and business leaders, academic elites, and representatives from international organizations across five continents. This event, which will be held in Macao, China, aims to address critical questions of our era and chart a path for shared progress in the tourism economy.
The global landscape today is marked by rigorous tests for international cooperation, amid intersecting geopolitical tensions, climate pressures, and global economic uncertainties. The tourism economy stands as a powerful bond that unites communities across geographical divides. According to the latest data from UN Tourism, international tourist arrivals reached a record 1.52 billion in 2025, vividly proving that tourism transcends its role as an economic sector to become a core driving force for mutual learning among civilizations, restoring global trust, and spurring sustainable growth.
As a premier flagship event in the global tourism economy sector, the Global Tourism Economy Forum was founded in 2012 and has successfully hosted 11 editions. Having brought together over 15,500 participants across 88 countries and regions, the Forum serves as a vital bridge connecting China with the international community to drive cultural tourism alignment, facilitate trade, and promote mutual learning among civilizations.
The newly released 15th Five-Year Plan for Cultural and Tourism Development by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism designates GTEF as a key national strategic platform, explicitly mandating the expansion of its global reach. Following its inclusion in the 14th Five-Year Plan, being named once again in national strategic planning marks the Forum's official transition from a Macao-born exchange platform into a key vehicle for China's high-quality opening-up in cultural tourism, as well as a major contributor to global tourism rules and trends.
This edition of the Forum will closely align with five core pillars: Resilient Governance, Technology and Innovation, The New Traveller, Culture and Identity, and Sustainable Growth. It will explore frontier topics such as global cultural tourism capital deployment, China-Europe and Asia-Pacific connectivity, mountain-dwelling tourism, and investment facilitation. The Forum will also transcend traditional industry boundaries to explore emerging "Tourism+" business models such as AI empowerment, educational tourism, sports IP, cultural heritage revitalisation, and experiential retail, offering forward-looking guidance for global industry transformation.
Spain will be the Partner Country, sharing its mature experiences in destination refined governance, balanced regional development, and sustainable transformation as a model for the global cultural tourism industry. Hainan Province will join as the Featured Province, highlighting China's high-standard opening-up through the launch of island-wide special customs operations for the Free Trade Port alongside expanded visa-free policies. Leveraging the Forum, Hainan and Macao will drive substantive progress in policy complementarity and resource sharing while opening new avenues of cooperation in multi-destination tourism itineraries development, reciprocal visitor flows, and international MICE synergies.
In addition, the Forum will feature business matching, cultural tourism promotions, and themed dinners. Adopting an integrated "MICE + Delegation Visit" model, the event will extend its programming to Macao world heritage culinary tours and wellness tourism site visits in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, opening concrete new channels for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area supply chain synergy and investment execution.
This edition of the Forum is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, maintaining long-term strategic partnerships with UN Tourism and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). It also works closely with leading international tourism organizations, including the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), European Travel Commission (ETC), World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF), World Tourism Alliance (WTA), International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), and Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation (SIEF), continuously building global governance synergy to write a new chapter in sustainable global cultural tourism development.