At the opening ceremony, the Head of the Macao Special Administrative Region said that despite global complications, the number of foreign arrivals rose 5% globally to nearly 500 million in the first six months of 2013.

The impressive figure testifies to the fact that the tourism industry has huge potential for development, contributing significantly to global economic growth. 

In his address, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan affirmed Vietnam always attaches importance to promoting this "non-smoking" industry.

Besides drawing up a national tourism development strategy until 2020 and with a vision for 2030, Vietnam has set specific tourism targets for various periods of development.

Recently, he said Vietnam hosted a conference in HCM City, with the participation of representatives from Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand, discussing the application of a single visa mechanism for the five involved countries to promote cross-border travel.

Thanks to constant efforts, Vietnam has become one of Asia's attractive and friendly destinations for international visitors, Tuan noted.

He also highlighted the country's tourism potential and pledged to create favorable conditions for foreign tour operators to expand their business in Vietnam.

GTEF 2013, initiated by the China Chamber of Tourism in 2012, is hosted by the Macao SAR Government and coordinated by the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre.

The forum, themed "Regenerate Our Economies: Invest in Travel and Tourism", is an interactive discussion platform designed to capture a macro view of the interplay between tourism and other major economies and the momentum that each builds upon the growth of the other, contributing to the socio-economic development among countries.