2024.10.20
The 18th UN Tourism/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook opened on October 19 in Guilin, Guangxi. The event was attended by ZHOU Jiabin, Vice Chairman of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region People’s Congress Standing Committee, Secretary of CPC Guilin Municipal Committee; HU Fan, Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; Hae-Guk HWANG, Director of the Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific, UN Tourism; and Noor Ahmad HAMID, CEO of PATA, among others. Distinguished guests, including Phireak HOY, Vice Minister of Tourism Ministry of Cambodia, Jakkaphon TANGSUTTHITHAM, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, and Mr. LIU Shijun, Vice Chair and Secretary-General of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA), delivered keynote speeches.
Phireak HOY, Vice Minister of Tourism Ministry of Cambodia
Jakkaphon TANGSUTTHITHAM, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand
Mr. LIU Shijun, Vice Chair and Secretary-General of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA)
In his keynote speech on “Insights on Cross-border Tourism Trends”, Mr. LIU emphasized that in the context of the rapid recovery of global tourism, the industry is seeing trends such as tiered consumption and enhanced attraction of individual tourist factors. To face the emerging challenges and opportunities, destinations across the Asia-Pacific region should adhere to the principles of win-win cooperation, fostering openness and inclusiveness while ensuring freedom of travel within the region. This would enhance mutual understanding and trust, promote cultural exchange, stimulate tourism economic growth, and create employment opportunities. Additionally, it would contribute positively to poverty alleviation, the protection of traditional cultural heritage, and the achievement of shared prosperity.
The forum was jointly organized by UN Tourism and PATA, hosted by the Guilin Municipal People’s Government, and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Culture and Tourism Department , with support from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Over 120 experts and representatives from 25 countries—including the U.S., U.K., Germany, Russia, and Cambodia—gathered along the Li River to discuss international tourism cooperation, the application of digital technologies, the integration of tradition with innovation and the destination inbound tourism market. Under the theme “Tourism in Asia and the Pacific: Consolidating Recovery and Looking Beyond,” participants shared insights on the latest trends in the Asia-Pacific tourism industry and explored the future of inbound tourism markets.