UN Tourism’s Asia-Pacific Member States met to boost capacity and explore how meetings and events can drive sustainable economic, social, and cultural growth.
The 17th UTM-UN
Tourism Training Programme organised by Macao University of Tourism (UTM) in
collaboration with UN Tourism, focused on "Leveraging Meetings and Events
for Local Development."
The four-day training
programme (21-24 October), sponsored by MGM, brought together renowned industry
leaders, academics, and practitioners from across the Asia-Pacific
region.
MICE AS DRIVER OF GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY
In her opening
remarks, Fanny Vong, Rector of UTM, emphasised the training programme's
significance saying: “Our longstanding collaboration with UN Tourism has
covered a lot of ground, ranging from sustainable tourism planning to
destination branding. This year, we explore how meetings and events can become
drivers of local prosperity, strengthening destination branding and fostering
public-private partnerships that empower youth development and advance
sustainability. Here in Macao, where MICE is a key pillar of economic
diversification, this discussion is especially pertinent.”
UN Tourism’s Programme
Officer for the Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific - Christine Brew,
on her part underscored the immense economic power of the meetings and events
industry as well as its significant contribution to local development, travel
and tourism and global GDP.
In his
congratulatory remarks, Iwan Dietschi, Senior Vice President of Hospitality at
MGM, spotlighted MGM's support for tourism education and development in Macao.
The distinguished
speakers in attendance included representatives from China Convention,
Exhibition, Event Society (CCEES), Economic Development Bureau of the
Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, China, Galaxy
Entertainment Group, International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA),
Macao Government Tourism Office, MGM, Singapore Association of Convention &
Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS), Union des Foires
Internationales (UFI), and faculty members of Macao University of Tourism
(UTM).
10 YEARS OF TRAINING AND EMPOWERMENT
As the UTM-UN Tourism
Training Programme enters its second decade, it will continue to address
emerging challenges and opportunities in the tourism industry.
By bringing together international experts and
regional practitioners, future editions of the programme will continue to
foster the cross-cultural collaboration and knowledge exchange—essential for
addressing shared challenges and promoting more inclusive development models.
The insights gained
will contribute to shaping tourism policies and practices that benefit not just
individual destinations, but the global community as a whole.
Over the past decade, this collaboration between UN Tourism and UTM has trained nearly 400 participants from 36 UN Tourism member countries from Asia-Pacific and Europe, and has consolidated this annual programme as a premier capacity-building initiative in the region's tourism sector. -TradeArabia News Service