Helena de Senna Fernandes, Ip Peng King (center) and Pansy Ho (right)
Spearheading discussions about the global tourism economy in the context of China’s far-reaching Belt and Road Initiative, the seventh Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF, or the Forum) will be held in Macau on October 23 and 24.
Under the theme “Strategic Partnership in a New Era, Rising Momentum for a Shared Future” the event takes a holistic approach to examine the impact of strategic tourism collaboration between the European Union (EU) and China in the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year, and the latent opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area waiting to be explored.
A pre-event press conference was held at MGM Cotai yesterday, where it was announced that, as an official partner of the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year, GTEF will present the European Union as the Official Partner Region in its 7th forum on October 23-24 in Macau to promote the EU’s collective tourism offerings to China, the fastest growing and number one source market in the world since 2014.
GTEF intends to play a strategic role as a pragmatic exchange platform to create a year-round series of important campaigns and events from roadshows and trade visits, and a two-day program of keynote and panel sessions, bilateral meetings, business-matching opportunities, exhibitions, workshops and cultural activities, to drive high-level dialogues on increasing tourism flows between China and Europe, enhancing EU countries’ understanding of Chinese visitors when traveling in Europe, and strengthening cooperation between the Chinese and EU authorities in the field of tourism and its related economy.
Vice chairman and secretary-general of GTEF Pansy Ho said “This year will be in fact the second biggest year after 2015; we have already registered now 1,500 registered attendees.”
“More importantly, it’s not just the figure and the number. But we […] see more and more now that there are registrations from different parts of the world clearly, from especially collaborative partners […] and different parts of EU, as well as from Guangdong province.”
More than 140 keynote speakers and major guests, including representatives of the 28 EU countries, mainland China, and global tourism institutes, will attend the event.
In total, more than 1,500 people coming from 40 different countries and regions will participate in this year’s event.
Key guests include Ana Mendes Godinho, Secretary of State of Tourism of Portugal, and Istvan Ujhelyi, vice chairman of the Committee of the Transport and Tourism of the European Parliament. JZ
Pansy Ho: US companies ‘operate as local organizations here’
On the sidelines of yesterday’s press conference relating to the seventh Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), Pansy Ho made comments regarding the gaming industry, saying that “it will be easier in a way, probably, if everybody is going to look at the next circle or next phase of development all together.”
“It is that all of us are really working towards basically positioning ourselves in a collective manner, so that we can make Macau a destination for non-gamers […] I think it is conducive for the industry as a whole […] to have the extra time to basically put together a stronger proposition and to demonstrate that we are capable of attracting the non-gamers and then we have to see,” said Ho.
Regarding whether US companies should be worried about the new concession tender, Pansy Ho said “I have been asked […] whether I am concerned because, after all, the brand [MGM] is still American […] I hope that, eventually, all the American operators will be able to demonstrate that we have come and basically operate as local organizations here. We are using the local know-how and we are all working towards building a better Macau, and therefore we should earn their trust and confidence.”
“I think what we are trying to do is we are trying to demonstrate that [investors] are here to help the place grow and develop. This is how we want to be perceived and how we want to be contributing,” said Ho.
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