The 12th Global Tourism Economy Forum · Macao 2026 will return to its founding city, Macao, from 15 to 17 October 2026. Macao is the Host City; Spain is the Partner Country; and Hainan Province is the Featured Province.

The world needs connection more than ever. Geopolitical tensions, climate pressures and global economic uncertainty are testing the foundations of international trust and cooperation. Tourism, by its very nature, is one of the most powerful forces for building it.

Tourism is far more than the movement of people from one place to another. It connects cities and cultures, opens markets and creates opportunities. It fosters cultural exchange, strengthens international understanding, and drives economic development across destinations and communities. The United Nations' designation of 2027 as the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism reflects this reality: tourism is not simply a catalyst for economic recovery but a primary vehicle for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and deepening global cooperation.

That shift is already underway in the world's most dynamic tourism economies. China offers a compelling model of what this looks like in practice. By integrating tourism with social philanthropy, community empowerment and cross-sector innovation, private enterprises and social organisations are fostering inclusive growth and regional synergy, making the tourism economy a vital expression of China's commitment to high-quality development.

In 2025, the sector reached a milestone that had been years in the making. International arrivals reached 1.52 billion, surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of 1.49 billion recorded in 2019. Each crisis has forced the tourism economy to adapt, to open new markets, to forge new partnerships and to find new sources of value. Resilience has been built, deliberately and collectively, through the decisions governments, industries and organisations make in response to disruption.

Today, that process of building is taking a more ambitious form. Tourism is becoming a gateway for opening markets, facilitating cultural exchange and creating new opportunities for international cooperation. Yet new geopolitical, environmental and socio-economic risks continue to compound. The moment calls for moving from reactive adaptation to proactive leadership.

It is against this backdrop that the 12th Global Tourism Economy Forum · Macao 2026 takes its theme: Crisis · Resilience · Evolution — Building a Tourism Economy for a Shared Future. The Forum will convene global leaders across governments, enterprises, destinations and international organisations to address a question that sits at the heart of the sector's next chapter: How does the global tourism economy turn its scale and reach into a force for lasting transformation?

Crisis, Resilience and Evolution frame the challenge and the opportunity:

Crisis is both a test and a catalyst for change. Faced with geopolitical shifts, climate vulnerabilities and technological disruption, the tourism economy is adapting its models, anticipating emerging risks and responding with greater agility.

Resilience goes beyond recovering from disruption. It lies in fostering inclusive growth that balances economic viability with social value. Through community development, job creation and cross-sector collaboration, the tourism economy builds the foundations to sustain value through volatility. The most resilient tourism economies are those that do not stand alone. They are connected to other sectors in ways that multiply their value and deepen their foundations.

Evolution calls for a fundamental rethink of what growth means and what it should deliver: from scale to quality, from destination competition to regional collaboration, from resource consumption to shared value creation, and from traditional services to technology-driven innovation. It means moving beyond tourism as an industry toward a model in which tourism contributes to the broader prosperity of economies, societies and the environment.

Each of these demands action across five interconnected pillars. Together they define what a more resilient, connected and sustainable tourism economy requires:

• Resilient Governance: how governments, enterprises and investors build shock-resistant destination economies through innovative collaboration and inclusive policy frameworks.
• Technology and Innovation: how AI, big data and immersive technology are reshaping value chains and redefining the travel experience.
• The New Traveller: how changing traveller behaviours and emerging source markets are creating new opportunities for cross-border and regional growth.
• Culture and Identity: how cultural IP, brand development and heritage preservation integrate culture and tourism in ways that sustain authenticity and deepen human connection.
• Cross-Sector Growth: how sports and wellness tourism and mega-events are creating new opportunities.

The 12th Global Tourism Economy Forum · Macao 2026 is where the global tourism community comes together to build the partnerships, frameworks and shared vision for a more open, inclusive and sustainable future for all.