The 17th UTM–UN Tourism Training Programme in Macao examined how meetings and events can drive local prosperity, strengthen destination branding and build public–private partnerships that advance youth and sustainability. Christine Brew, UN Tourism’s Programme Officer for the Regional Department, APAC, highlighted the sector’s powerful economic contribution to local development, global tourism, and GDP, urging destinations to leverage MICE strategically. Over the past decade, this collaboration between UN Tourism and UTM has trained nearly 400 participants from 36 UN Tourism member countries from Asia-Pacific and Europe, and has consolidated this annual programme as a premier capacity-building initiative in the region’s tourism sector.
