More than 1,000 experts from the wellness, culture, travel, and tourism industries worldwide will attend a convention in Kuala Lumpur to discuss resilient and sustainable growth in these sectors. The Global Wellness, Cultural, and Tourism Convention 2023 (GWCTC2023) will take place from Oct 26 to Oct 28 at Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur. Confexhub Group is organizing the event, which will attract many delegates from China.
Confexhub Group chairman Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Aziz SA Kadir acknowledged that the past few years have been challenging for many sectors. He highlighted that the convergence of health and economic crises has significantly impacted the wellness, cultural, travel, and tourism sectors globally. Abdul Aziz also mentioned that although these sectors bore the brunt of the pandemic, the wellness sector has shown promise with a global market worth USD4.4 trillion in 2020, projected to grow at a 4.3% annual growth rate.
However, the culture, travel, and tourism sectors experienced a considerable decline due to the pandemic, with global revenue dropping to USD396.37 billion in 2020 – a staggering 42.1% decrease from the previous year. This emphasizes the urgent need to reshape and reimagine strategies in these sectors.
Abdul Aziz emphasized the importance of collaboration and knowledge exchange in recovery and growth. The convention, supported by Tourism Malaysia, will collaborate with China (Sanya) Public Diplomacy Institute (SPDI), Asean-China Commerce Association, and Persatuan Kerjasama Ekonomi dan Perdagangan Antarabangsa.
Present at the soft launch were SPDI secretary-general Sun Zhiguo and Tourism Malaysia package development division director Shahrin Mokhtar. Shahrin highlighted the remarkable growth of the medical tourism sector in 2022, with a 120% increase in healthcare travelers, welcoming over 800,000 international medical travelers. He noted that Indonesia, Singapore, and China were the top three contributing countries.
Shahrin stated that this achievement underscores the significant economic impact of the sector and its potential for continued growth. He emphasized that the convention is an opportunity for minds to unite, ideas to flourish, and innovative solutions to emerge, with the aim of propelling these sectors towards renewed growth, sustainability, and global recognition.
The upcoming convention will feature technical presentations by leading enterprises from China, providing insights into innovative practices, cultural preservation, and wellness solutions. There will also be a two-day free exhibition showcasing the latest products, services, technologies, solutions, and innovations within the wellness, culture, travel, and tourism sectors. Foreign participants will have the opportunity to experience a study tour of Melaka to witness Malaysian heritage and culture firsthand. For more details on GWCTC2023, visit www.gwctc.org
Credit: The Star : Metro Feed
