Hosted by the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the MSAR Government, the Global Tourism Economy Forum - Macau 2015 (GTEF) was held at The Venetian Macao from 12^th to 14^th October. Unveiling its 4^th edition, the GTEF convened under the theme 'Belt and Road Initiative: Unleashing the New Dynamics of Cultural Tourism' with the aim of fostering cultural tourism, actively exploring development opportunities and enhancing regional and international co-operation. The Forum was attended by some 60 ministerial officials from various countries, leaders from globally renowned private corporations, as well as experts and scholars from around the world who had gathered to discuss the necessity of leveraging cultural tourism to capitalize on opportunities from the Belt and Road Initiative.

More than 1,200 delegates from around the world, including Featured Partner Countries Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru as well as provincial and municipal delegations from China attended the event, while over 200 local and overseas media representatives were present to cover developments, representing a 42 per cent and 54 per cent growth compared to the first edition of GTEF.

An array of signing ceremonies symbolizing new tourism partnerships between GTEF, its collaborative partners and featured China Province and City were signed. Among them was the Memorandum of Understanding inked by UNWTO and the MSAR Government establishing a Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training in Macau. Deepening co-operation between both parties, this brand new entity will not only provide training and education programmes and conduct joint tourism research projects but will also provide technical placement and internship opportunities. This in turn will substantially strengthen the city's overall human capital in tourism and effectively enhance Macau's competitiveness as a travel destination.

Meanwhile, the Face to Face, Ministers and Private Sector CEOs session gathered ministerial officials from the Pacific Alliance as well as Asian countries and regions to join in a direct dialogue with global business leaders. During the session, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam elaborated upon the city's historic and cultural roots, which can make a strong tie connecting Macau with peoples of different regions around the world, with more friendly visits, exchanges and co-operation based on Macau's diverse cultural gems such as heritage, religion, the Macanese community, returned overseas Chinese and immigrants as well as the city's historic connections with Portugal.

Meanwhile, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre (GTERC) presented the second UNWTO/GTERC Annual Report 2015 on Asia Tourism Trends. It confirmed the leading position held by the Asia Pacific region as the source market of tourism and the second most visited region in the world, attracting 263 million international tourists in 2014, comprising 23 per cent of the world total. While China stands out as the number one tourism source market with record spending of US$165 billion on international tourism in 2014, a 28 per cent increase over the previous year, Latin American countries, particularly members of the Pacific Alliance of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, are also showing great potential for growth.

This Forum edition featured a fascinating and comprehensive programme with a series of Featured Partner Countries and Mainland Provinces presentations scheduled as well as several in-depth topical panels. The programme was also enriched by business matching and networking programmes, providing ample opportunities for Forum attendees to exchange ideas and explore opportunities for tourism business co-operation. The 5^th edition of GTEF will be held in Macau in 2016.