Hosted by the Secretariat of Economy and Finance of the Government of Macao Special Administrative Region (GSEF), and in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Global Tourism Economy Forum is a leading international exchange platform designed to promote the sustainable development of the global tourism sector. The GTEF is co-organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and the China Chamber of Tourism (CCT), and coordinated by the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre (GTERC).

Since its inauguration in 2012, GTEF has been dedicated to the promotion of global tourism, the deliberation of the most current topics, and the timely update of cutting-edge trends in the industry, with a particular focus on China. Each year, GTEF is advancing its platform to explore innovative solutions, facilitate sustainable development, and develop new products and new markets to fuel investment. GTEF tailors its program and creates a setting where professionals in global tourism can share innovative and creative solutions, as the way forward for a more resilient, deep-rooted, global tourism economy.

Shanghai epitomizes the melding of dazzling innovation and modernization with history, tradition, and cultural heritage. Home to copious architectural styles, world-class cuisines, and contemporary art and creativity, Shanghai was designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Design in 2010. The city has put in place important initiatives to promote design as an important driver of industry development and social sustainability. Located in the Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone, Shanghai is a center of global finance, and hosts large scale exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo, demonstrating the city’s commitment to strengthen cooperation, promote common prosperity of the world economy, while playing a vital role in the construction of “the Belt and Road Initiative.” Under the grand framework of Shanghai-Macao Cooperation Mechanism, GTEF will further consolidate the two cities' exchange and cooperation in culture and tourism and emphasize the importance of innovation-driven development. Positioning innovation as an engine for sustainable development, GTEF will look at how to leverage technological innovation to energize the culture and tourism industries, thereby molding a new trend in culture and tourism development.

Together with Italy, the birthplace of the Renaissance and one of four biggest economies in Europe, GTEF will further strengthen the bilateral cooperation between China and the EU this year. As the epicenter of the Roman Empire, Italy is home to some of the world’s greatest art, architecture, and gastronomy. It is also home to some of the most well-known houses of style and fashion and is home to the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world. Its cities represent UNESCO Creative Cities of Design, Literature, Design, Film, Gastronomy, and Music. Italy welcomed 64 million tourists in 2019 and is the world’s fifth most visited country, tourism represents a significant part of the national economy. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of P.R. China has included GTEF in the Sino-Italian Cultural Exchange Mechanism, whose goal is to promote openness in culture and tourism, consolidate mutual learning between Chinese and foreign cultures.