Forum: Initiatives boon to global tourism
The China-led Belt and Road Initiative and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will provide new growth engines for the development of the global tourism economy — an industry playing an increasingly crucial role in driving socioeconomic progress, officials and industry experts say.
They made these remarks at the opening ceremony of the Global Tourism Economy Forum held in Macao on Tuesday.
Gao Yunlong, chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, said the Belt and Road Initiative has promoted cooperation between countries and regions, and “that will definitely create huge room for the development of the tourism industry”.
“As economic globalization deepens and the Chinese mainland makes greater efforts on reform and opening-up, especially when President Xi Jinping raised the concept of Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, the country’s tourism is embracing a ‘golden age’,” he said.
Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization, said improvement of infrastructure in the Bay Area — such as the newly opened Hong KongZhuhai-Macao Bridge — will make travel in the region more convenient, thereby encouraging the flow of people.
According to UNWTO, international tourism generated $1.6 trillion in export earnings and international tourist arrivals reached approximately 1.3 billion last year, representing a 7 percent year-on-year growth.
The organization forecasts international tourist arrivals to rise 4 percent to 5 percent this year.
A report released by the World Travel and Tourism Council shows that the travel and tourism sector accounted for 10.4 percent of global GDP and generated 313 million jobs, or 9.9 percent of total employment, in 2017.
“Tourism has already become an industry that plays an important role in and has a widespread impact on social and economic development,” Gao noted.
As a popular tourism destination, Macao is determined to make a big contribution toward this development. It is striving to build itself into a world center of tourism and leisure, and a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between the Chinese mainland and Portuguesespeaking countries — or “one center, one platform”.
Holding the forum in Macao can help the city create more space for regional cooperation and promote innovation in the development of the industry, Macao Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai-on said.
Edmund Ho Hau-wah, vicechairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and forum chairman, said it is important for Macao to give full play to its function as “one center, one platform”.
It should take advantage of its strengths in connecting the Chinese mainland and the West to drive sustainable development of the global tourism economy, Ho added.
Since its establishment in 2012, GTEF has become a platform for world leaders, tourism ministers, international CEOs and industry experts to share their insights on the opportunities and challenges presented by the global tourism economy amid a fast-changing environment.
Themed “Strategic Partnership in a New Era, Rising Momentum for a Shared Future”, the two-day event features a range of activities, including forums, business matching, exhibitions, workshops and cultural activities.