Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) 2025 opens a new chapter of international cooperation in tourism: from December 15 to 17, 2025, the host is the city of Harbin accommodation in Harbin in the Chinese province of Heilongjiang accommodation in Heilongjiang. This is a historic step as the Forum is held for the first time outside its long-time home in accommodation in Macao. The overarching theme „New Quality Productive Forces: The Driver of the Global Tourism Economy” invites countries, cities, industry leaders, and experts to think of tourism as a highly productive, technologically empowered, and sustainable ecosystem – not just as a service sector.

Why the “Ice City” and Why Now

GTEF was launched in 2012 in the Macao Special Administrative Region accommodation in Macao and has grown through ten editions into a recognized platform connecting policymakers, leading corporations, and experts. The choice of Harbin accommodation in Harbin – a city globally known for its monumental ice sculptures, winter festivals, and a blend of Chinese and European architecture – is a strategic message. It reflects Heilongjiang's ambition accommodation in Heilongjiang to transform its “snow asset” into an engine for year-round growth and to demonstrate how innovations in infrastructure, energy, sports, and culture can be multiplied through tourism. At the same time, this is an opportunity to present China as a testing ground for new technologies and models of cooperation that focus on quality, not exclusively on the quantity of visitors.

A Theme Connecting Development and the Market

The term “new quality productive forces” has become the foundation of China’s high-quality development policy in recent years. In tourism, this paradigm translates into smart infrastructure, digitalization of operations, the use of artificial intelligence for managing traffic and visitor flows, and low-carbon transport and accommodation models. In Harbin accommodation in Harbin, discussions will cover how new technologies and business models raise the productivity and competitiveness of tourist destinations, but also how destinations create higher added-value experiences through culture and creative industries. The focus is on sustainability, security, and resilience, i.e., on a policy that combines community protection with economic effect and guest satisfaction.

The Program on Four Pillars

This year’s program logically follows the development framework of the host Heilongjiang accommodation in Heilongjiang and the needs of the global market:

• Ice-Snow Economy and Industrial Innovations – from the monetization of winter resources through energy-efficient solutions to the integration of sports tourism and mega-events.


• Cultural Empowerment and Brand Building – interpretation of heritage, storytelling, creative industries, and unique experiences as the core of the offer cluster.


• Investment Leadership and Project Development – connecting capital and projects, long-term returns, smart hotels, and “green” construction sites; the central point is the investment presentation of the Heilongjiang province accommodation in Heilongjiang.


• Cross-border Cooperation and New Opportunities – networking in Northeast Asia, the role of the Belt and Road Initiative, and cooperation with international organizations and associations.

Who is Coming and What the Schedule Looks Like

The Forum expects representatives from the public sector, CEOs of global companies, entrepreneurs, and experts from five continents. The rhythm of events includes a solemn opening, ministerial dialogues in cooperation with UN Tourism, special sessions in partnership with the WTTC, thematic discussions on technology and “smart” culture and tourism, an investment conference, and organized visits to projects in the city of Harbin accommodation in Harbin and its surroundings. The venues are in convention and hotel spaces, with additional content and networking outside the halls – so that business conversations naturally continue on the ground where new ideas and projects originate.

Heilongjiang: From Winter Asset to Year-Round Offer

Heilongjiang accommodation in Heilongjiang has systematically expanded its tourism ecosystem in recent years: in winter, ice sculptures, skiing, and winter sports dominate, while the rest of the year the focus is on ecotourism, hiking, nature parks, wellness, and cultural routes. Two intensive campaigns – “one hundred days of summer” and “one hundred days of winter” – directed market communication during periods of highest demand and encouraged a more even flow of visitors.

The results are measurable: during 2024, the province recorded approximately 282 million tourist visits, which is 29.1% more than the year before; total consumption reached around 370.12 billion yuan (+67.1%). Foreign arrivals increased to approximately 1.2 million with revenue of approximately 13.44 billion yuan. This momentum creates a solid foundation for GTEF in accommodation in Heilongjiang to serve as a catalyst for new investments and knowledge transfer – while demonstrating how a destination traditionally reliant on winter is building sustainable year-round demand.

Harbin as a Stage

The Forum concept also includes field visits so that participants can experience key projects and attractions of the city of Harbin accommodation in Harbin firsthand. From the “Ice & Snow World”, through the historic St. Sophia Cathedral and the pedestrian street Zhongyang, to new cultural and sports zones – the city provides a setting where it is clearly visible how “ice turns into gold”. Such dramaturgy gives partners a context for discussing investments, content development, and knowledge transfer.

UN Tourism, WTTC, and Other Partners

The role of UN Tourism in the ministerial dialogues and the partnership with the WTTC guarantee that discussions will be aligned with global standards of responsible growth, security, and resilience. For countries aiming for market diversification, Harbin accommodation in Harbin offers an example of how to connect mega-events, urban renewal, and thematic clusters. For operators and investors, Heilongjiang accommodation in Heilongjiang is a testing ground for pilot projects of smart destination management, energy efficiency, and digital tourism – with a focus on measurable effects.

Macao Remains Part of the Forum’s DNA

Although GTEF 2025 is held outside accommodation in Macao, the Forum retains the experience accumulated in Macao: networking, access to global stakeholders, and positioning as the “Davos of Tourism”. Symbolically, GTEF connects the south and north of China – accommodation in Macao and Heilongjiang accommodation in Heilongjiang – in a unique development story of open cooperation.

From Strategy to Operational Solutions

The table features very concrete issues: measuring benefits for local communities; managing seasonality and “overheating” of popularity; the role of artificial intelligence in pricing, marketing, and personalization; data standardization and privacy protection alongside better organization of visitor flows. Harbin accommodation in Harbin and Heilongjiang accommodation in Heilongjiang will offer case studies – from managing large winter events to developing accommodation capacities and transport resilient to extreme conditions.

Aligned with “One Hundred Days of Winter”

The timing coincides with the winter “hundred-day” tourism promotion campaign in Heilongjiang accommodation in Heilongjiang. This means that guests will be able to experience the full splendor of the “Ice City” brand: light festivals, ice palaces, sports events, and night tours. For the hosts, this is an opportunity to showcase logistical readiness – from public transport and crowd management to security protocols – and highlight products aimed at international markets.

Global Context

GTEF 2025 answers questions that go beyond the local framework: how tourism can accelerate the transition towards greener growth models; how cultural and creative content encourages higher added-value consumption; how to increase the resilience of destinations to climate and geopolitical challenges. Within this framework, Harbin accommodation in Harbin and Heilongjiang accommodation in Heilongjiang function as a living laboratory where new technologies and partnerships are “tested live” – with the clear goal of measurable benefits for the local community and economy.

Practical Information

The schedule provides for registration and welcome on December 15, main sessions with ministerial dialogues and partners on December 16, and field visits and investment tours on December 17. As this is the peak of the winter season, early booking of accommodation in Harbin accommodation in Harbin and wider Heilongjiang accommodation in Heilongjiang is recommended, as well as timely travel planning.

Who the Forum is Most Useful For

For ministries and tourism organizations, the Forum provides an overview of policies, tools, and trends that can be immediately translated into destination management practices. For cities and regions with a “cold” identity, Harbin accommodation in Harbin is a case study on how to turn winters into an economic advantage. For the private sector – hoteliers, tour operators, and technology companies – Heilongjiang accommodation in Heilongjiang offers space for forging partnerships, testing products, and joint investments. To the academic community and think tanks, it provides data and examples for evaluating the effects of tourism on urbanism, the environment, and social development.

A Bridge Between China and the World

GTEF has promoted dialogue between China and international stakeholders from the start. After a decade in accommodation in Macao – where it grew into a reference gathering for the tourism industry – the move to Harbin accommodation in Harbin opens a new chapter. The Forum confirms itself as a place where public policies and entrepreneurship meet, and the common goal – sustainable, inclusive, and competitive tourism growth – gains concrete plans, partners, and projects.