Global tourism economy forum opens in Harbin

The 11th Global Tourism Economy Forum Heilongjiang 2025 kicked off on Tuesday in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, drawing more than 1,200 representatives from over 30 countries and regions across five continents to jointly draft a new blueprint for the tourism economy.

Established in 2012 in Macao, the GTEF is an annual summit that has hosted 10 editions, attracting over 14,000 participants from more than 90 countries and regions, and has collaborated with 44 partner countries and 13 Chinese provinces and cities to promote cultural and tourism brands.

In 2025, for the first time, the forum is being held outside of Macao, taking place in Harbin, reflecting the growing cultural and tourism influence of Heilongjiang and its expanding international cooperation network.

"Heilongjiang, located in the northernmost and easternmost part of China, has unique geographical advantages, excellent ecological environment, deep cultural heritage, and magnificent scenery, making it a desirable destination for domestic and international tourists," said Xu Qin, Party secretary of the province. "We consistently prioritize ecological protection and green development to accelerate the creation of a world-class ice and snow tourism destination, an ice and snow economy highland, and a summer art tourism sanctuary."?

In 2024, Heilongjiang received a total of 282 million tourists, representing a year-on-year increase of 29.1 percent, with total tourist spending reaching 370.12 billion yuan ($52.55 billion), a year-on-year increase of 67.1 percent.

Themed on "new quality productive forces: powering the global tourism economy", the forum closely aligns with Heilongjiang's comprehensive and seasonal tourism development layout and industry innovation practices.

Focusing on four core topics — ice-snow economy and industrial innovation, cultural empowerment and brand building, investment leadership and project development, and cross-border collaboration and cooperation opportunities, the event aims to assist Heilongjiang in connecting with global quality resources and innovation dynamics.

Pansy Ho Chiu-king, vice-chairman and secretary-general of GTEF stated that in recent years, Heilongjiang has introduced multiple regulations to promote investment, striving to create a favorable atmosphere for tourism investors.?

"Heilongjiang not only has ice and snow but also offers abundant nurturing that attracts entrepreneurs," she said. "The recent signing of a tourism cooperation agreement between Heilongjiang and Macao has laid a solid policy foundation for in-depth cooperation between the two sides."

"Additionally, the continuous optimization of transportation facilities is a significant source of our investment confidence," she said. "Currently, Harbin Airport has opened frequent flights to core cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. We look forward to promoting direct flights between Heilongjiang and Macao in the future, which will attract more tourists to Heilongjiang to experience the ultimate ice and snow as well as the ecological environment of the forest."