According to UNWTO, results of international tourist arrivals in the first four months of 2018 reflect a continuation of the strong trend seen in 2017 (+7%) and so far exceed UNWTO’s forecast of 4% to 5% for the year 2018. This growth was led by Asia and the Pacific (+8%) and Europe (+7%). With the global economic shift towards Asia, the stable growth of Asia, notably China, will be the impetus for the world’s economic development. To meet the world’s needs of analytical insight and research regarding the trends and situations in Asian tourism, the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre was established in Macao.

The decision of the Centre to be headquartered in Macao is only logical, given it is at the forefront of Asia’s burgeoning tourism economy. Its unique geographic location advantageously allows the Centre to closely follow Asia’s latest developments in tourism. As an ideal hub of communication, Macao can effectively disseminate the latest updates in Asian tourism to the world, and conversely present to the global tourism industry the most recent trends in Asia. Macao’s flourishing tourism industry has helped the city in gaining international competitiveness and in strengthening its effort to become a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure.

Strategically based in Macao, the Centre is an independent, non-profit international research organization with a special purview on tourism and travel development in Asia. Attuned to what is happening in the region through research and exchange platforms, the Centre shares ideas with government bodies and travel and tourism-related stakeholders on how Asia’s development will positively impact the globe. The Centre’s progressive and unique approach to aggregating and analyzing research from global authoritative bodies seeks to deliver solutions and advance ideas that will lead to the sustainable development of travel and tourism, in the region and around the world.