image resource: Global Tourism Economy Forum
On December 16, the “Global Tourism Economy Forum · Heilongjiang 2025” commenced in Harbin. Centered on the theme “New Quality Productivity: The New Engine of the Global Tourism Economy,” this year's forum featured opening and closing ceremonies, keynote speeches, roundtable forums, cultural and tourism exhibitions, and investment promotion meetings for Heilongjiang Province. He Yafei, Vice President and Secretary General of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), attended the opening ceremony upon invitation and chaired the parallel forum “IMTA Session: Ice ＆ Snow Economy and All-Region Tourism: Building Year-Round Living Destinations.”
The Global Tourism Economy Forum, initiated by the Global Tourism Economy Research Center (GTERC), focuses on China and is dedicated to promoting the sustainable development of global cultural and tourism economies. “Global Tourism Economy Forum · Heilongjiang 2025” is co-hosted by the People's Government of Heilongjiang Province and the World Economy Research Center, with the UN Tourism as a partner and the International Mountain Tourism Alliance as a supporting organization. First held in Macao in 2012, the forum has successfully convened ten sessions in Macao to date. This year marks its inaugural hosting outside Macao.
Leveraging Heilongjiang's unique resource endowments and geographical advantages, this edition centers on four core themes: “Snow and Ice Economy & Industrial Innovation,” “Cultural Empowerment & Brand Building,” “Investment Leadership & Project Development,” and “Cross-Border Collaboration & Cooperation Opportunities.” It aims to connect Heilongjiang with global premium resources and innovative momentum. Over 1,000 guests from more than 30 countries and regions across five continents gathered for the event, including heads of the United Nations World Tourism Organization and related international organizations, officials from government cultural and tourism departments of multiple countries, executives from Fortune Global 500 companies, as well as renowned entrepreneurs, experts, and scholars.
