The 13th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting brought together delegates to discuss digital innovation and heritage preservation, reinforcing China's role in global travel recovery.
Macao hosts APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting
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Delegates gathered in Macao over the weekend for the 13th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting to deliberate on strategies for the sustainable growth of the regional travel sector. Marking 12 years since the city last hosted the forum, the event attracted over 200 participants from across APEC economies to engage with the theme “Digital Innovation, Collaborative Empowerment: Leveraging Tourism for an Asia-Pacific Community.”
Discussions highlighted tourism as a critical economic driver for the region, China Daily reports. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the sector contributed 10.4 percent of the region’s GDP, and data from 2024 indicates a strong rebound, with APEC economies recording 439 million international arrivals, of which 359 million were intra-regional travellers.
Topics at the APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting
Chen Xu, chair of the APEC 2026 Senior Officials’ Meeting, emphasised that travel facilitation remains a central priority for the bloc.
South Korean minister of culture, sports and tourism, Chae Hwi-young, added that the APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting provided an essential opportunity to secure cooperation measures for growth during an era of digital transformation. He further proposed designating 2027-28 as the “China-South Korea Year of Tourism.”
Regional partners are also optimistic about prospects for regional business. Ha Van Sieu, vice-chairman of the Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism, noted that 2.3 million Chinese tourists visited Vietnam in the first half of this year alone.
Macao’s Chief Executive Sam Hou-fai used his address to the APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting gala dinner to underscore the city’s ambition to serve as a bridgehead for national strategic development, leveraging over four centuries of cultural integration between China and the West. To reflect this commitment to modernisation, the host city provided a fleet of electric vehicles for delegates and showcased local heritage sites alongside traditional cultural performances.
The APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting forms a key part of the broader APEC China 2026 series, which includes approximately 300 events held throughout China this year. The series will conclude in November with the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, set to take place in Shenzhen.
