Convention on sustainable growth in wellness, culture, travel and tourism industries in October

OVER 1,000 experts from the wellness, culture, travel and tourism industries from around the world will be attending a convention in Kuala Lumpur to discuss ways towards having more resilient and sustainable growth in these sectors.

The Global Wellness, Cultural, and Tourism Convention 2023 (GWCTC2023) is set to take place from Oct 26 to Oct 28 at Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur.

The event organised by Confexhub Group will attract a large number of delegates from China.

Confexhub Group chairman Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Aziz SA Kadir said the past few years had posed unprecedented challenges to many sectors.

He said the convergence of the health and economic crises had significantly impacted the wellness, cultural, travel and tourism sectors on a global scale.

“The Covid-19 pandemic, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the imposition of global trade restrictions on certain key economies have cast profound shadows over global economic recovery.

“Nonetheless, there is a glimmer of hope emanating from the wellness sector, which boasted a global market worth USD4.4tril (RM20.47tril) in 2020 and is forecasted to grow at an annual growth rate of 4.3%,” said Abdul Aziz during the convention’s soft launch at the same hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

He also said that the culture, travel and tourism sectors, which bore the brunt of the pandemic, experienced a considerable decline, witnessing a global revenue drop to USD396.37bil (RM1.84tril) in 2020 – marking a staggering 42.1% decrease from the preceding year.

“This underscores the urgent need to reshape and reimagine strategies within the culture, travel and tourism sectors,” said Abdul Aziz.

“The journey to recovery encompasses several dimensions, namely health, safety, digital innovation, sustainability, domestic prioritisation, international resurgence, collaboration and crisis readiness.

“Our purpose today is to delve into challenges, uncover opportunities and chart the course for the wellness, culture, travel and tourism sectors.”

He added that collaboration and knowledge exchange was key to recovery and growth.

The convention, supported by Tourism Malaysia, will be held in partnership 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.

Despite the challenges that have beset the global landscape, Shahrin said the medical tourism sector in 2022 recorded a remarkable 120% growth of healthcare travellers, welcoming more than 800,000 international medical travellers in pursuit of exceptional healthcare experiences.

“The top three contributing countries, in ranking order, were Indonesia, Singapore and China,” he said.

“This data provided by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) stands as a testament to the power of united efforts and strategic planning, further underscored by MHTC’s impressive revenue performance of over RM1.2bil in 2022.”

Shahrin said this achievement emphasised the significant economic impact of the sector and its potential for continued growth.

“We find ourselves at a unique crossroads. This gathering is more than just an event; it’s an opportunity for minds to unite, ideas to flourish and innovative solutions to emerge.

“Together, we have the ability to propel these sectors toward renewed growth, sustainability and global recognition,” he said.

Highlights from the upcoming convention include technical presentations by leading enterprises from China that will provide 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 also get to experience a study tour of Melaka to witness the Malaysian heritage and culture firsthand.

For details on GWCTC2023, visit www.gwctc.org