According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, in 2016, tourism contributed $1.3 trillion to GDP of APEC, generating 67 million direct jobs and contributing 6.1 percent to regional exports. 

However, the contribution of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is expected to bring about major changes to the world in general, and the tourism industry in particular. The urgent issue is how to develop sustainable tourism in terms of economy, culture - society and environment. Especially in the crucial transition period, the world is changing and APEC is building its vision after 2020.

This fact poses a requirement for APEC economies to cooperate to ensure economic and social benefits for all people in terms of stable employment, income opportunities and poverty reduction, preservation of cultural values and promotion of cultural exchanges, mutual understanding, and protection and management of environmental and biodiversity resources.

Participants highly valued Vietnam's initiative, the Senior Policy Dialogue on Sustainable Tourism. The economic development of 21 APEC member economies aims to improve the living standards of local people. 

At this dialogue, delegates discussed openly and passionately and they also shared experiences on issues related to sustainable tourism development, with emphasis on economic, social, environmental aspects, job creation, human resource development, development of micro, small and medium enterprises, standards and certifications for tourism services, inclusive development and regional and local connectivity, and strengthening the public-private partnership in sustainable tourism development.

The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien cited the story of Vietnam. He said that Vietnam’s tourism industry aims to welcome 17-20 million international tourists, contributing more than 10% of GDP by 2020. However, the industry is facing many challenges in its development process to ensure sustainable economic, social and environmental development.

The Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat said that to develop sustainable tourism, the role of small and medium enterprises is very important. In addition, economies need to focus on local advantages and at the same time focus on environmental protection.

Promoting sustainable, inclusive and connective Asia-Pacific tourism

Sharing the same view on international cooperation in responding to common challenges, particularly in the tourism sector, the ministers in charge of tourism of APEC member economies approved the High-Level Declaration on Sustainable Tourism with the theme "Promoting sustainable and inclusive Asia-Pacific tourism."

They agreed to report to the APEC Economic Leaders in November on the importance of promoting sustainable tourism in Asia-Pacific.

According to observers, this is a very important statement, conveying the message of strongly supporting the principles and actions to promote sustainable tourism, including: Considering the development of sustainable tourism as a continuous process that requires constant monitoring and evaluation of impacts; promoting domestic and regional tourism development policies to support the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; encouraging long-term, viable economic contributions that benefit all stakeholders; respecting the cultural and social identity of the local community; optimizing the use of natural resources; encouraging consumer demand for sustainable tourism activities and products; promoting public-private partnerships as a key measure to develop sustainable tourism and services infrastructure; creating a competitive environment, and supporting all businesses related to tourism, especially micro, small and medium enterprises; and conducting more studies so that APEC economies can adapt and take advantage of the changes brought about by new technologies.

Hoang Long