MACAO, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The ninth Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) opened in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Wednesday, attracting worldwide tourism leaders from the public and private sectors as well as experts and scholars to share their views on tourism recovery when facing the pandemic.

Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and GTEF Chairman Ho Hau Wah, and SAR's Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieong U who was also the representative of Macao SAR's chief executive, delivered welcome remarks at the opening ceremony.

Ho said that we all hold the same determination and desire to work collaboratively in efforts to provide solutions for the recovery of the global tourism economy.

The forum is an advanced international exchange and cooperation platform dedicated to fostering the sustainable development of the global tourism economy, he added.

Ao Ieong said this year is such an unusual year filled with unprecedented challenges. Confronted by the new prospect and challenges, the tourism industry needs more than ever to unite in restoring confidence in travel.

Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC and Chairman of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce Gao Yunlong, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Zurab Pololikashvili, China's Culture and Tourism Minister Hu Heping and other industry leaders presented opening keynotes online.

With a theme of "Solidarity and Innovation: Reshaping Tourism in the New Global Economy", the forum invited about 50 government and industry leaders as well as tourism organization and enterprise leaders from China and abroad to share the foresight and visions on tourism recovery and sustainable tourism development.

The forum had dialogues covering topics such as public-private partnerships for restarting tourism economy, air travel under the new norm and solidarity to reshape the tourism economy.

UNWTO and Global Tourism Economy Research Centre also presented the report Asia Tourism Trends 2020 Edition during the forum.