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Guilin, located in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, is hosting the 20th UN Tourism/PATA Forum on Tourism Trends and Outlook from Oct 20 to 22, marking the event's 20th anniversary. The event will run under the theme "The Next Frontier: Travel Trends in the Age of Artificial Intelligence".
The forum, held at the Shangri-La Hotel, is expected to draw over 300 delegates from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. It is being co-hosted by UN Tourism and the Pacific Asia Travel Association, Guilin municipal government, Guangxi Department of Culture and Tourism, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
The event ranks as one of the region's most enduring tourism think tanks.
Li Jun, secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Guilin Municipal People's Congress, attended the opening ceremony, which was chaired by Kuang Qu, deputy secretary of the Guilin Municipal Party Committee.
Other speakers at the opening included Liu Shijun, executive director of UN Tourism; Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO of PATA; Kaye Chon, dean of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; and Lan Xiao, vice chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region government.
Discussions will focus on how AI and digital platforms are reshaping tourism markets, visitor behavior and destination competitiveness. The forum will also release the Sept 2026 edition of the UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer. Ctrip Group COO Xiong Xing will deliver a keynote speech on AI's role in shaping traveler values and behavior.
Other sessions will cover consumer trends, talent development, digital transformation, and AI's impact on community-based tourism and cultural heritage. Technical tours to Yangshuo and the Longji Rice Terraces will introduce delegates to Guilin's tourism offerings.
