The 12th Global Tourism Economy Forum · Macao 2026 got underway in Macao on October 15 and runs through October 17. Under the theme "Crisis · Resilience · Evolution — Building a Tourism Economy for a Shared Future", the event brings together leading figures from tourism and related industries worldwide to examine emerging trends, opportunities, and challenges in the global tourism economy.

Hainan is participating as the Featured Province alongside the Partner Country of Spain, sharing perspectives and forging new partnerships at this international event.

Government officials, representatives of international organizations, business leaders, academics, and industry experts from around the world will gather to discuss the most pressing issues facing tourism amid shifts in the global economy.

Topics will include building resilience in the tourism economy, developing the culture and tourism sector, inbound tourism, cross-sector integration through "Tourism+", mountain-based tourism and extended stays, applications of artificial intelligence, and sustainable growth.

With the United Nations having designated 2027 as the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism, discussions will seek to identify forward-looking approaches and practical solutions for the global tourism economy.

The program will feature plenary sessions, keynote speeches, panel discussions, culture and tourism presentations, fireside chats, and business matchmaking sessions, providing opportunities for policy dialogue, knowledge sharing, and industry collaboration.

Spain, this year's Partner Country, will share experiences in destination management, balanced regional development, and sustainable tourism.

As the Featured Province, Hainan will showcase achievements in developing the Hainan Free Trade Port and opening up further to the world, while also seeking closer cooperation with Macao and other regions in tourism, conventions and exhibitions, investment, and related industries.

Hainan and Macao are geographically close, with strong people-to-people ties and complementary tourism offerings. Both fall within the wider economic reach of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and occupy important positions along the Maritime Silk Road.

During the forum, the two destinations will look to build on their complementary policies, share resources, and strengthen coordination. Areas for closer cooperation include developing premium multi-destination travel itineraries, encouraging two-way visitor flows, and jointly promoting international conventions and exhibitions.

Hainan plans to tap into Macao's connections with Portuguese-speaking countries, Southeast Asia, and other international visitor markets to jointly attract more inbound tourists and raise the island’s profile as a global destination.

Macao, in turn, is expected to share experience in developing as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, hotel management, and the meetings and exhibitions industry to support Hainan's development as an international tourism and consumer center.

To encourage closer regional cooperation, site visits to Macao and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin have been arranged. Participants will explore the two areas' strengths and development opportunities in industrial collaboration, infrastructure connectivity, and the integration of tourism and MICE resources, with a view to fostering business partnerships and connecting potential project partners.

Hainan will engage with potential partners at the event and draw lessons from Macao-Hengqin integration, seeking new ways to strengthen industrial supply-chain cooperation between the Hainan Free Trade Port and the Greater Bay Area and turn investment opportunities into concrete projects.

Since its launch in Macao in 2012, the Global Tourism Economy Forum has become a major platform for international exchange, drawing on the advantages of Macao's "one country, two systems" framework and its position within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to promote innovation and sustainable development in tourism.

Previous editions have attracted more than 15,500 participants from 88 countries and regions, with over 780 internationally recognized speakers sharing their insights. The forum has provided opportunities for dialogue on global tourism policy and cooperation across the industry.