A mid the return of the Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), it is hoped that consensus will be sought, GTEF vice chairman and secretary-general Pansy Ho said yesterday during her keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 10th GTEF.
Ho expressed her hopes that this GTEF will seek consensus and elevate tourism to a higher level.
She highlighted that despite all the time that has passed, the forum has strived to maintain open-mindedness and inclusiveness, saying that “it has been integral to finding common ground.”
She also expressed hope that the GTEF would enable both the Special Administrative Region of Macau and the People’s Republic of China to attract foreign investment and visitors while fostering global tourism.
Starting her speech with a reflection on the history of the forum, Ho recapped that 11 years ago, when China managed to attract large numbers of visitors at the inaugural GTEF, she knew “the forum was heading towards a right direction,” adding that the forum had effectively connected Chinese non-governmental economic entities with the world.
She also thanked the Macau government for its ongoing support of the GTEF, as well as Italy and Shanghai for accepting the invitation to be the forum’s partner country and the featured city respectively.
During her keynote speech, Daniela Garnero Santanchè, Minister of Tourism of Italy, said that in 2024, the China-Italy Culture and Tourism Year campaign would return after a two-year hiatus. The previous campaign was impacted by travel restrictions. Notably, next year also marks the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s death.
The minister highlighted a 520% year-on-year increase in Chinese tourist arrivals in Italy in 2023, with a trend for younger travelers. She emphasized that many tourists have chosen to visit Italy because of its luxury experiences and goods. Indeed, the consumption of luxury goods accounts for 25% of all tourist expenditures. She sees the GTEF as a good opportunity to promote Italy further.
Moreover, vice mayor Liu Duo of Shanghai emphasized the close collaboration between Macau and Shanghai, as exemplified by the 2021 Macao Week marketing campaign held in 2021 in Shanghai, which had attracted over four million visitors. She believes that Macau and Shanghai will continue to work together to enhance the quality of tourism.
She also noted that Shanghai has several theme parks planned, including Lego Land and other projects.
At the same session, Edmund Ho, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Forum Chairman, believed that more opportunities would be created at the forum between China and Italy, and suggested that Shanghai can also leverage the forum as a platform to showcase its aptitude to participating guests and professionals to promote the development of high-quality culture and tourism on a global scale.
Reiterating Macau’s strategic location and position, Ho pledged that the forum would continue with the “1+4” development direction set by the local government and contribute to the city’s diversification efforts.
Secretary for Economy and Finance and GTEF executive chairman Lei Wai Nong extended a welcome on behalf of the city to all forum participants. He described this year’s forum as a “remarkable meaning” as the world is now on the path to full recovery.
He said that this GTEF serves as a stage to showcase the fruits of Macau’s orderly resumption and its capacities as the “Best Convention City (in Asia)” to industry practitioners and stakeholders.
He added that the forum is on track to becoming a prestigious high-end international convention, functioning as an intersection of “dual circulation” for the tourism industry as part of the country’s 14th Five-Year Plan. In doing so, it has an important contribution to the country’s opening up and advancing high-quality development, as well as the broader development of the national and global tourism economy.
