The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) 21 member economies have agreed on a set of eight measures on tourism development in the region, looking to reach 800 million tourists over the next decade. Ministers and delegates of APEC economies gathered in Macau on Saturday to attend the 8th Tourism Ministerial Meeting.
The executive director of the APEC secretariat, Alan Esmond Bollard, told a press conference on Saturday that, “ministers have a target of increasing arrivals [in the Asia-Pacific] region, over the next decade, to something like 800 million, which is a significant increase.”
He added that such a goal is embedded in the Macau Declaration, one of the meeting’s key achievements. “The Macau Declaration will go forward to leaders in Beijing when they meet in early November for their consideration.”
The chairman of China National Tourism Administration, Mr Shao Qiwei, said that APEC member economies adopted the Macau Declaration, detailing cooperation strategies for the coming years. The goal of reaching 800 million tourists, he said, is not only crucial to the Asia-Pacific region, but will also benefit the whole world.
Delegates and ministers discussed a wide range of issues, from mobility of tourists through economies in the region, to what can be done in terms of transport, infrastructure, border processes, and travel facilitation initiatives.
Mr Shao Qiwei explained that they have reached a consensus to work on a set of eight particular measures.
These include promoting market integration, linking tourism with other industries; the use of science and technology so that economies can boost smart tourism; and using tourism to enhance sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.
Mari Pangestu, Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy
Green development and low impact tourism are crucial concepts to develop the region, ministers and delegates agreed. “After the meeting, low-carbon and green tourism are [important] new concepts for us. Some member economies have said that we should learn from each other, so that we [can] share [the] best practices,” said Mr Shao Qiwei.
APEC members are looking to improve air connectivity in the whole region, too. The Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ms Mari Pangestu, explained that the APEC economies’ representatives discussed how to achieve better air connectivity. It’s not only an infrastructural matter, but also an issue of air services, since travel facilitation is also under consideration.
“Last year, we did a study that shows if we could improve the facilitation of visas, we could increase jobs by 1.8 million to 2.4 million in the APEC region over three years, because we increased the number of tourist arrivals,” she said.
The APEC tourism working group is cooperating closely with customs, business mobility and security working groups as well, looking to improve airline connectivity in the whole region.
It is also a matter of facilitating travel procedures for tourists. APEC delegates believe that by improving visa application processes and shortening stopover-waiting time in the airports, the tourism industry will grow.
APEC is looking to gain up to 57 million additional international tourist arrivals by 2016, as well as an estimated 2.6 million new jobs.
With APEC’s Tourism Ministerial Meeting taking place for the first time in China, Mr Shao Qiwei stressed that tourism is “a strategic pillar” of the People’s Republic of China economy, as China’s Vice Premier Wang Yang, who also took part in the meeting, had previously stressed.
“I think this meeting helped promote facilitation measures amongst member economies (…) it will become more pragmatic, and maybe [those measures] can be translated into specific laws,” he reiterated.
APEC delegates and ministers have stressed the fact that they had a chance to learn more about Macau, with the meeting being organized here.
“Macau is a pearl in the most dynamic region and we’ve seen very interesting examples [on tourism] here,” said Mr Alan Bollard.
He stressed that all participating ministers will go home with more information on Macau, which will probably also make a difference to tourism here.
“APEC economies are looking more and more for sources of growth and it has been invigorating to see the discussions we have had on sources of growth in tourism sectors right across the region, many of them are growing very fast,” Mr Alan Bollard stressed.
Hosted this year by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), the meeting was organized by the MSAR, bringing to town 152 participants, including tourism ministers and representatives of the 21 APEC economies.
Gathering at the Macau East Asian Games Dome, they discussed future tourism policies for the Asia-Pacific region, which will be conveyed and further explored in the APEC leaders’ meeting, due to take place in Beijing this November.
Wang Yang vows for regional integration
Wang Yang
The Chinese Vice Premier, Wang Yang, called on Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies to work toward regional integration, which could help boost the tourism sector. Participating in the 8th Tourism Ministerial Meeting, held on Saturday in Macau, Wang Yang stressed in his speech that China needs other Asia-Pacific regions, which can also benefit from bilateral cooperation.
The meeting in Macau helped generate new outcomes, while members agreed on a set of measures to be put forward in APEC’s Economic Leaders Meeting in November. “The potential in the tourism market is huge (…) We have to strengthen information sharing, policy articulation and industry interaction, in order to exceed the goal of 800 million people travelling between member countries by 2025,” he recalled.
Mr Wang Yang said that significant advancements followed APEC’s establishment. Measures such as easing visa application procedures, the development of new products, policies on marketing, security, and job creation have led APEC economies to strengthen tourism and bilateral cooperation.
The APEC region received 350 million tourists last year and China’s Vice Premier is convinced the number will increase significantly in the next decade. In addition, he stressed how tourism has great impact on the economy, particularly when experiencing such accelerated growth. Last year, he said, tourism represented 8.5 percent of the regional economy and a total of 120 million jobs are within the tourism sector.
The Vice Premier pledged support for Macau’s efforts in expanding tourism exchanges with other regions, stressing that the Central Government will continue to support Macau’s desire to boost its tourism sector.
Also delivering a speech in the meeting’s opening ceremony on Saturday morning, Chief Executive Chui Sai On said that Macau was honored to organize the event, “which offered an opportunity for the [APEC] delegates to learn more about Macau as a tourist destination.”
He recalled that the tourism sector is not only an economic growth engine, but also a bridge connecting people across the globe.
“[For] the first time since its establishment, the APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting is held in China. By choosing Macau as the venue, the Central Government has shown its great support and trust toward us,” Chui Sai On said.
Macau’s leader added that the government remains committed to transforming Macau into a world tourism destination, leading up to economic development and cultural exchange.
MSAR looking to join APEC
Macau is looking to join Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) as a member economy, said government spokesperson Alexis Tam. Macau has already expressed its intention to join APEC with its respective leaders, Alexis Tam told newspaper Plataforma. He added that the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs has helped Macau with its goal of joining APEC, since Hong Kong and China are already amongst APEC’s 21 economies. For now, Macau is only represented through China.
Macau Declaration sets future policies
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s 21 economies have agreed to outline a series of measures and recommendations, having signed the “Macau Declaration” last Saturday – a document to be put forward in an APEC economic leaders’ meeting in November.
Recognizing that the Asia Pacific’s economy is still recovering from a financial crisis, APEC members have agreed to find new and additional driving forces for economic development, integrating tourism with other industries. They have also recognized significant differences among APEC member economies in terms of economic development, culture and history. But APEC economies stressed that diversity and flexibility should be maintained, to strike a balance among member economies’ tourism interests.
The “Macau Declaration” also addresses measures on smart tourism, regional cooperation, travel facilitation, improved connectivity, sustainable development, new tourism products, and job creation.
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