US skips senior representation at tourism meeting, citing visa dispute

The United States has declined to send senior officials to the 13th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation tourism ministerial meeting in Macau, citing China’s restrictions on U.S. diplomats’ ability to provide emergency consular assistance in the city.

In a statement released last week, the State Department said it would not send “high-level participants” to the June 24-28 meeting after Beijing maintained what Washington described as “arbitrary and targeted” visa requirements for U.S. government personnel traveling to Macau.

“As a matter of principle, the United States will not send high-level participants to a ministerial event promoting tourism in a location where U.S. diplomats cannot provide emergency services to U.S. tourists in need,” the department said.

Washington said the visa restrictions limit the ability of accredited personnel to enter Macau to assist U.S. citizens, prompting a Level 3 – Reconsider Travel advisory for the special administrative region. The department said it had repeatedly asked China to ease the requirements and proposed “a positive way forward” when Macau was selected to host the meeting, but said Beijing rejected the idea and kept its policy in place.

Washington’s decision comes as Macau hosts the APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting for the first time since 2014, alongside the 67th APEC Tourism Working Group meeting.

The U.S. does not have a consulate in Macau. Consular services are handled by the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong.

On Friday, Eduardo Pedrosa, executive director of the APEC Secretariat, told a local broadcaster that Macau’s selection reflected progress in digital infrastructure and visitor management, including biometrics and electronic immigration systems.

“I believe that tourism will remain an important part of Macau’s economy, but how to create more value from it and how to create more and better jobs are issues that we all need to focus on,” Pedrosa said.

The APEC sessions in Macau are aligned with China’s 2026 APEC themes of openness, innovation and cooperation. Discussions are also expected to cover volatile oil prices, pressures on the aviation sector and the environmental impact of tourism.

Pedrosa added that many economies are shifting from volume-driven tourism to higher-quality, more sustainable models, with greater attention to overtourism and marine-resource impacts.

Despite the diplomatic friction, organizers said the meeting has gone ahead with a full agenda and is expected to conclude with talks on cross-border connectivity and sustainable tourism practices.