Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macao
Macao: The annual Global Tourism Economy Forum has discussed different issues of travel and tourism.The Global Tourism Economy Forum,Macau 2012 (“GTEF” or “the Forum”), one of the most prominent international events of the year, is held at Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre .
Hosted by the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, co-organized by the China Chamber of Tourism under the authorization of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) and coordinated by the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre, the Forum is initiated under the theme of “Growth Driving Growth: The synergistic interplay of tourism and economic development”, where the road to achieving mutual benefits between tourism and related economy as well as industries will be analyzed in depth.
Joining this prominent event are over 1,000 attendees from more than 20 countries and cities all over the world, including delegations from over 20 provinces and municipalities in Mainland China.
In the ceremony’s opening speech,Edmund Ho Hau Wah, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Forum Chairman of GTEF, remarked:“As a veritable hub bridging China and the world, Macao has greatly benefited from its tourism industry, a significant pillar of the overall economy. With the ardent support of The Chinese Central Government, Macao is poised to achieve its goals of diversification in economy as well as being the World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. ‘
Chui Sai On, Chief Executive, Macao Special Administrative Region, expressed that tourism had become one of Macao’s most important industries. As highlighted within The Country’s National Twelfth Five-Plan and Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Framework Agreement, Macao’s goal of becoming the World Centre of Tourism and Leisure plays a key role in the long term national planning as well as regional coordinated development. It is designated to be a solid foundation in maintaining the long term prosperity and stability as well as realizing the principles of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, ‘Macao People Governing Macao’ and high degree of autonomy.
Huang Mengfu, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) and Ablet Abdurishit, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference expressed their views on issues of tourism and economy.
Sha ZuKang, Former UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic & Social Affairs and the Secretary-General for UN Conference on Sustainable Development 2012, said: “The growth of tourism is a success story of a globalizing, inter-dependent world. Behind the global statistics lies an even greater success story –the growth of tourism in Asia and the Pacific.”
Speakers at the summit keynote, all industry luminaries, included Chumpol Silapa-archa, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand and Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand; Shao Qiwei, Chairman of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA); Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); David Scowsill, CEO and President of World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Martin Craigs, CEO of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). Collectively, they imparted their insight and aspirations towards the potential of the travel economy ,states a press statement of GTEF, Macao.
With the encouraging trend of tourism playing a pivotal role in driving global economic growth, the Forum strives to establish an exchange and cooperation platform connecting domestic and foreign entities, to gather views and opinion from industry leaders, experts and intellectual in a cross-industry and cross-region manner, to create synergies and to explore cooperative opportunities in order to open the door of mutual cooperation among leaders around the world and across industries, therefore to promote tourism industry as a new bright spot of economic growth in China and the rest of the world .
