The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the People’s Government of Guilin of China celebrate between 20-22 October the 10th UNWTO/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook. The theme of this special 10^th anniversary edition is ‘Tourism 10:10 – Looking back to look forward’.

With the collaboration of the Polytechnic University of Hong-Kong, a UNWTO Affiliate Member, theForum has become over the last 10 years a reference platform on global and regional tourism trends. Parallel to the 10th Edition of the Forum, the 5th Annual Conference of UNWTO Sustainable Tourism Observatories in China will take place also in Guilin on 20 and 21 October.

“Tourism is a strong contributor to poverty alleviation as recognized by the Sustainable Development Goals and to be here in Guilin is the perfect occasion to remind that the Government of the People’s Republic of China has prioritized this sector as a tool to lift 17% of the country’s impoverished population out of poverty by 2020,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.

Tourism trends, changes in travel behavior and booking patterns and sustainable-related practices applied to the sector were some of the themes addressed throughout the Forum. The inclusive angle of tourism, a topic widely advocated by UNWTO, was also part of the discussions that addressed the participation of women in rural community tourism.

In 2015, Asia and the Pacific received 278 million tourists (+5% than in 2014) and will reach 535 million by 2030. International tourism generates xx billion USD in exports in Asia and the Pacific. As UNWTO elaborates in ‘Tourism 2030, A Global Overview,’ international tourist arrivals will reach 1.8 billion by 2030. By that time, Asia and the Pacific will gain most of the new arrivals. China is also a leading tourism destination – 4^th in the world after France, USA and Spain with 57 million tourists in 2015.

The South East Asian region was the fastest growing in terms of international tourist arrivals in the first six months of 2016 with a growth rate of 9%, well above the global 4% increase registered in the world.

Malaysia, the second most visited destination in South East Asia, has hosted the 4^th edition of the World Tourism Conference (WTC) jointly organized between the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC).

Under the theme ‘Tourism Delights: Delivering the Unexpected’, the Conference focused on strategies to enhance the visitors experience under the principle of “tourists first”. The round tables on ‘Tourism a Sunrise Industry?’ and ‘Tourism Experiences: Breaking New Grounds’ debated tourism trends beyond 2030 as well as how to reinvent the sector with a customer-oriented focus.

“We have witnessed two revolutions: on technology and on travel. The confluence of these has resulted in a new traveller who is technology-savvy, connected and informed who increasingly desires authentic, unique and valuable travel experiences and who is also more responsible and conscientious. Our sector needs to harness the emerging desire for ‘positive-impact’ tourism to contribute to a better world,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai at the Opening of the Conference.

“A key element to advance tourism is creativity and innovation (…) in that regard, Malaysia has enhanced its tourism products by packaging “local community’s daily life” into a touristic offer – the “homestay experience” – providing travelers the opportunity to immerse in the traditional village lifestyle and to interact with local hosts, as well as other initiatives such as Villagestay, Visit MyFelda and Visit MyLonghouse,” explained the Minister of Tourism of Malaysia, YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz.

Additional sessions were dedicated to the endless opportunities that tourism brings to communities, where the relevance of sustainable practices, rural and youth tourism were underlined.

Malaysia has recently presented the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) which has prioritized tourism as a catalyst for economic prosperity. Ecotourism, family-friendly destination, business tourism, and events, entertainment and sports have been emphasized within this strategy. With this Programme, Malaysia hopes to reach 36 million tourist arrivals by the year 2020. In 2015, Malaysia received 27.5 million international tourist arrivals.