The Global Tourism Economy Forum is an annual event that unites leaders from both the public and private sectors within the multi-trillion-dollar global tourism economy for high-level discussions and cross-sector collaboration. Initiated under the auspices of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) and supported by the Ministry Of Cultural and Tourism of the People’s Republic Of China in collaboration with UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO), GTEF has become the leading international, non-profit platform dedicated to advocating for the sustainable development of the tourism industry and leveraging the industry's power to drive global tourism economy.

Since its inception in 2012,  the forum has been facilitating exchanges among international tourism stakeholders and fosters cooperation between various Chinese provinces and cities with countries worldwide in tourism, culture, economy, and trade. GTEF has partnered with over 86 countries and regions include France, Italy, Argentina, Brazil, all European Union (EU) member states, 16 countries from Central and Eastern Europe, the 4 nations of the Pacific Alliance (Peru, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico), as well as Kazakhstan, Spain, and Portugal.

As a premier platform for thought-provoking exchanges in tourism and culture, GTEF has attracted over 14,000 participants over the last decade, generating more than USD 600 million in media value and reaching an audience of 2 billion. Through the forum and its related activities, more than 100 MOUs has been signed to promote the advancement and sustained growth of the tourism industry.