MGTO attends 65th APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting in Korea

MACAU, July 31 - On behalf of Macao, China, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) attended the 65^th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Working Group Meeting, held in Korea from 29 to 31 July. During the meeting, MGTO presented Macao’s work to foster its development as a world centre of tourism and leisure through the sectors of “tourism +” and exchanged ideas with representatives of APEC’s member economies on the outlook of tourism, which elevated Macao’s influence and engagement with international tourism organizations.

The APEC Tourism Working Group convenes two meetings annually, which MGTO regularly attends on behalf of Macao, China as a guest economy. This year, MGTO Deputy Director Jennifer Si Tou led a delegation to attend the 65^th APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting (referred to as the “Meeting”) in Incheon, Korea.

Zero in on tourism strategies in Asia-Pacific

The three-day program of the Meeting included an opening ceremony, discussions on work plans and cross-sector cooperation, familiarization visit and closing ceremony, among others. The meeting agenda focused on the progress of implementation and practices in the four priority areas of the current Strategic Plan of the APEC Tourism Working Group: Digital Transformation, Human Capital Development, Travel Facilitation and Competitiveness, as well as Sustainable Tourism and Economic Growth. There were also negotiation sessions and panel discussions on the topics of “Connect, Innovate, Prosper”.

Macao fosters development through exchange and learning from member economies

Capitalizing on the international platform brought by the Meeting, Macao delegates gained an update about the latest work of the APEC Tourism Working Group, while exchanging insights and learning from other economies’ valuable experience. Their participation furthers Macao’s engagement with international tourism organizations, builds international relations and contributes to propelling sustainable tourism development in Macao.

During the meeting today (31 July), MGTO Deputy Director Jennifer Si Tou presented the current tourism situation in Macao and visitor arrivals to Macao from the member economies of APEC in the first six months of 2025. Revolving around the topic of Leveraging “Tourism+” to “Connect, Innovate and Prosper”, she shared Macao’s practices in “tourism + gastronomy”, “tourism + culture and creativity” and public-private collaboration, to promote its development as a world centre of tourism and leisure through integration across sectors.

The APEC Tourism Working Group was established in 1991 for tourism administrators of APEC’s member economies to share information and exchange views, serving as a platform that supports cooperation and development of various destinations in tourism and trade. Since Macao, China was granted the status of Guest Economy in the APEC Tourism Working Group in 2001, MGTO has been attending the Tourism Working Group meetings regularly.