Asia-Pacific highlights smart and sustainable growth at UN Tourism-PATA Forum

International

19th edition in Guilin focuses on data-driven policies, innovation, and regional recovery

The 19th UN Tourism/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook brought together over 230 participants from 30 countries to discuss how research, data, and innovative policies can foster a smarter, more sustainable tourism ecosystem. Organized by UN Tourism and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), in collaboration with the Guilin Municipal People’s Government and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the event reinforced its role as a leading regional platform for global insights.

Strong recovery in Asia-Pacific

UN Tourism data show that international arrivals in Asia-Pacific grew 11% in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024, outpacing the world average, though still 8% below 2019 levels. North-East Asia led with 20% growth, reflecting the renewed influence of China as the world’s largest outbound market.

Data at the core of smart tourism

Sessions explored governance and policies backed by innovative intelligence systems, with contributions from Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Spain, Republic of Korea and Vietnam. Key topics included:

· Smart destinations: Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea, and Spain shared case studies on digitalization, collaboration, and community well-being.

· MICE opportunities: Experts from China, Greece, and Korea underlined the role of data in identifying new market partnerships.

· Young talent and research: Chinese academia stressed the importance of training future leaders in data-driven tourism.

Industry perspectives

Keynotes from Fliggy and TUI provided insights on European travel to Asia-Pacific and the digital transformation of the Chinese market.

Looking ahead

The 20th edition of the UN Tourism/PATA Forum will again be organized by UN Tourism, PATA, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the Guilin Municipal People’s Government in 2026.