GTEF 2019 Features Brazil and Argentina as Partner Countries

The 8^th edition of GTEF will be held in Macao in 2019, in which Brazil and Argentina will feature as Partner Countries, while Jiangsu will be designated Featured Partner Chinese Province. Based upon the experience of the last seven editions, GTEF is poised to innovate both programme and format, helping delegates forge wider tourism co-operation across industries, sectors and regions via its international exchange platform.

With 2019 marking the 5^th anniversary of the Forum of China and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and representing the 45^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil, the 8^th GTEF is committed to deepening tourism collaboration between China and Latin American countries once again. Building on the achievements in the fourth edition when GTEF featured Pacific Alliance member countries (Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru) as Partner Countries, next year Brazil and Argentina will take centre stage at GTEF thereby unlocking co-operation opportunities between China and these places.

EU-China tourism co-operation and Greater Bay Area in focus at GTEF 2018

The 7^th GTEF - just held from 23^rd to 24^th October under the theme 'Strategic Partnership in a New Era, Rising Momentum for a Shared Future' - examined the impact of strategic tourism co-operation between China and the European Union (EU) in the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year and explored the myriad opportunities brought by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development. Other themes in the limelight during the Forum included new technologies, gastronomy, festivals and events, and more. This year, GTEF successfully gathered over 2000 participants from across the globe, while about 200 enterprises and organisations from different sectors across different countries and regions, including China and member states of the EU, engaged in business matching for deeper co-operation and exchange.

During the two-day programme, GTEF presented a series of discussion sessions, keynote addresses and presentations, including the highlight session of the event - 'Face to Face, Ministers and Private Sector CEOs' - organised in co-operation with the World Toruism Organization (UNWTO). In this 7^th edition, other signature discussion panels were held in co-operation with other major collaborative partners, namely Pacific Asia Travel Association and World Tourism Cities Federation, along with new panels organised in co-operation with other entities including All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, UNESCO, European Tourism Association, and The European Travel Agents' and Tour Operators' Association, among others.

The UNWTO and the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre also delivered their fifth joint research report on Asia Tourism Trends during the Forum. The report provides insight into the latest tourism outlook of the Asia-Pacific region, a statistical analysis of Chinese Outbound Tourism to Europe and European Union Outbound Tourism to China, as well as the development potential and opportunities across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

In addition, GTEF facilitated the signing of ten agreements for tourism co-operation. The Macao SAR Government and UNWTO agreed to extend - by one year - the validity of a memorandum of understanding on tourism education and training co-operation. Also, the Alliance for Developing Macao into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Tourism Education and Training Base organised by three government departments and ten universities in Macao, signed the 'Collaborative Agreement of the Alliance for Developing Macao into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Tourism Education and Training Base, Partnership Agreement' during the GTEF, among other agreements.