The 18th UN Tourism/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook opened in Guilin, Guangxi, on Oct 19, 2024, with around 120 experts and representatives from 25 countries, including the US, the UK, Germany, Russia, and Cambodia, in attendance. With the theme "Tourism in Asia and the Pacific: Recovering and Looking Beyond," the forum focused on future tourism trends and cooperation.

At the opening ceremony, speeches were delivered by senior officials including Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO of PATA. Hamid shared PATA's projection that international tourist arrivals to the Asia-Pacific region will rise from 619 million in 2024 to 762 million in 2026, driven by technological innovation, rapid growth in regional and long-haul travel markets, and shifts in source markets.

This forum has been held in Guilin for 17 years, making it a key platform for international tourism exchange and cooperation. Guilin is striving to deepen practical cooperation with countries worldwide, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, in tourism, business, and investment. Since 2007, this event has positioned Guilin as a major hub for tourism information exchange in the Asia-Pacific region.

The opening ceremony of the 18th UN Tourism/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook. [Photo provided to guangxi.chinadaily.com.cn/guilin]