Twelve years on: Macao's cultural tourism breaks new ground

The APEC "China Year" has now entered its final phase. It started with a Senior Officials' Meeting in Guangzhou, which was followed by SOMs in Shanghai and Dalian and ministerial meetings on women and the economy, trade, food security, and energy. A series of side events in various fields were also convened. Together, they are laying the groundwork for a successful APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held in Shenzhen this November.

As part of the "China Year" calendar, the 13th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting was successfully held in Macao this June. Marking a return to Macao after 12 years, the meeting carries special significance not only as a high-level dialogue on tourism governance in the Asia-Pacific, but also as a window into Macao's abiding commitment to leverage the "one country, two systems" policy to play a significant role on the international stage.

The TMM drew considerable attention from the international tourism and cultural sectors. Delegates from APEC member economies explored the important role of digital and smart technology-enabled tourism in regional socio-economic development, and reached broad consensus, charting a course for more dynamic and sustainable expansion of the tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific.

China's three-point proposal — "jointly advancing digital innovation to promote high-quality tourism development," "jointly exploring cooperative empowerment to strengthen the foundation of tourism-supported prosperity," and "sharing tourism values to build an Asia-Pacific community hand in hand" — received broad support.

Eduardo Pedrosa, executive director of the APEC Secretariat, commended China's leading role in promoting travel facilitation and aligning smart tourism standards.

Thaddeus Kambanei, head of the Papua New Guinea delegation, observed that tourism cooperation among Asia-Pacific economies has entered a phase of "collaborative empowerment," with the growth of China's tourism economy serving as a major engine of regional growth.

Shaping a diversified ecosystem for Macao's cultural and tourism industry

Looking back, when Macao first hosted the APEC TMM in 2014, the city's cultural and tourism industry and its conference-organizing capabilities were still in their infancy. Twelve years on, Macao has transformed beyond recognition. In 2025, its visitor arrivals surpassed 40 million for the first time, surging by 14.7 percent year-on-year. Macao ranked first for two consecutive years on the China Tourism Academy's list of "Top 10 Destinations for Chinese Outbound Tourist Satisfaction."

Meanwhile, the city has made remarkable strides in organizing meetings and conventions, hosting 1,861 meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) in 2025, setting a new record. Thanks to its exceptional event-hosting capabilities, Macao has received several accolades including "Best Convention City (Asia)" and "Best International MICE City."

On the sidelines of the meeting, representatives from member economies had the opportunity to witness firsthand the city's transformation, visiting cultural relics and experiencing local life.

Mr. Ha Van Sieu, deputy director general of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, noted that using cultural heritage as a medium to convey historical and cultural narratives to visitors is an excellent practice.

Dato' Tiong King Sing, minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia, pointed out that the ultimate value of tourism lies in creating quality jobs, supporting local communities, and preserving cultural and natural heritage — a vision that aligns with Macao's "tourism+" model.

Building platform connectivity for exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations

Although the APEC TMM has concluded, its impact continues to resonate. It has helped Macao further leverage its unique endowments to reshape its cultural tourism competitiveness and blaze a path for high-quality tourism development in the Asia-Pacific. Delegates agreed that, rich in cultural and tourism resources and committed to promoting exchanges between China and the West through tourism, Macao provides an ideal platform for advancing inter-civilizational interactions.

Looking ahead, Macao is forging ahead with an ambitious blueprint for cultural and tourism development. It is building the Macao International Integrated Tourism and Cultural Zone and accelerating Macao-Hengqin (Guangdong province) integration as part of the joint development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with a view to building a world-class cluster of cultural tourism destinations. Leveraging its role as a bridge for exchanges between China and the world, Macao is working to extend its reach not only to Portuguese-speaking countries but also to Spanish-speaking ones.

Riding the momentum of the APEC TMM, Macao's tourism industry is embracing the world with greater confidence and openness, poised to write more success stories under the "one country, two systems" policy and make greater contributions to China's overall development.

The author is a commentator on international affairs.

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