Output
1) List of Best Practices for Tourism Service Providers
A core output of the Project will be the development of a List of Best Practices, which will serve as a compact, structured compendium for APEC economies. The document, with a minimumlength of 27 pages (excluding annexes), will profileat least 18 best practice cases from across the APEC region.
The List will be structured according to the Project's three main themes,which align with both the workshop's objectives:
- Developing Inclusive Tourism Infrastructure: Best practices in creating and modernizing physical and digitalinfrastructure to improveaccess for all to the tourism industry.
- Fostering Economic Connectivity: Effective policies, strategies, and cases that usetourism to strengthen regional economic integration and development within APEC.
- Integrating Digital Innovation: Cutting-edge digital technologies and innovative management models for enhancing tourism products and operations.
The development of the List will be led by a ResearchContractor. The methodology will be comprehensive, involving:
- A review of existing academicpapers, APEC and other international organization reports, and industry analyses.
- Primary qualitative research, which will form the core of the research. This will consist of in-depthinterviews with key stakeholders from across APEC economies, including tourism policymakers, city-level managers, and industry leaders, to identify and elaborate on the most relevantand effective practices.
This rigorous approachensures the List is groundedin both established knowledge and current, on-the-ground insights, maximizing its practical value for capacity building.
2) In-Person Workshop
This full-day workshopwill be conducted offline during the TWG PlenaryMeeting within SOM3 in China in July 2026. The PO team will invite at up to 6 speakers (including a moderator) to share best practices, experiences and knowledge.
The workshop will be a single, 8-hour event designed to build APEC economies' capacity in modernizing tourism infrastructure through digitalization and innovation, with a focus on sustainability. Structured around three core themes— public infrastructure development, strengthening regional connectivity, and incorporating digital technologies into tourism products—the agenda will featurea core group of up to six speakers and a moderator facilitating the dialogue throughout the day. To ensure effective capacitybuilding, the workshopwill target up to 22 participants from travel-eligible APEC economies, specifically inviting municipal tourism managers, domestic policy officialsresponsible for tourismand digitalization, and industry association experts.
Workshop sessions will be recorded for note-taking purposes only.
Tentative Workshop Agenda (1-day, 8 hours):
- Session 1: Developing InclusiveTourism Infrastructure (2 hours) 1.Case studies on accessible digital infrastructure for all
2.Policies for SME, youth, and women inclusion in tourism value chains
- Session 2: Fostering Economic Connectivity (2 hours) 1.Developing regional tourism clusters
2.Showcasing successful cross-border tourism initiatives in APEC
- Session 3: Integrating Digital Innovation (2 hours)
1.Leveraging AI and big data for tourismmanagement and marketing 2.Digital platforms for promotingsustainable and experiential tourism
- Wrap-up & Policy Recommendations (1hour)
- Consolidating key findings and formulating actionable recommendations.
- Post-Workshop Survey Administration (1 hour)
A post-workshop survey will be conducted to evaluate outcomesand collect participant’s feedback.
3) Summary Report
A comprehensive SummaryReport, with a minimum lengthof 20 pages (excluding annexes), will be developed by the Research Contractor as an official APEC Publication. The report will capture the Project's proceedings and outcomes, highlighting its contribution to the discourse on innovative and inclusive tourism development within the APEC region.
The report will be structured to include a synthesis of the Project's substantive discussions, a presentation of the key recommendations that emerged, and an overviewof the results achieved. The finalized List of Best Practices will be included as a key annex to provide practical value. Upon completion, the report will be submitted to the APEC Secretariat for approval and subsequent publication on the APEC website, ensuring accessibility to all member economies.
Outcome
1) To create a platformfor the exchangeof Best Practices, experiences and knowledge, as well as to establish cooperation between representatives of the tourism sector of APEC economies.
The effectiveness and success of achieving this outcome will be assessedby interviewing participants after each stream to assess the knowledge gained, collectopinions and evaluatethe effectiveness of the transferof Best Practices, experiences and knowledge.
2) Practical steps aimed at changing and improving the representatives of APEC economies' tourism sector's awareness, knowledge and policies by creating and modernizing tourisminfrastructure elements in APEC economies, improving access to the travel and tourism industry for all (including SMEs, youth, women, and groups with untapped economic potential), integrating digital technologies and innovations into modern tourismproducts and services,and introducing effective tourism management practices.
The effectiveness and success of achieving this outcome will be assessedthrough a surveyof participants aftereach stream to assess which Best Practices, experiences and knowledge have proven to be the most valuableand promising for practical application by representatives of the tourism sectorof APEC economiesin short-, mid- and long-term perspective.
Beneficiaries
The primary beneficiaries of the Projectinclude government officialsresponsible for shaping tourism policies, tourism serviceproviders (such as travel agencies,operators, companies providing tourism-related products and services), with a particular focus on MSMEs.
In addition, tourism associations, as well as youth, women and other groups with untapped economic potential, engaged in tourism activities, can benefit from the Project by receiving access to APEC best practices, cutting-edge knowledge and valuableexperience, along with the opportunity to be engaged in effective long-term cooperation.
Moreover, the Projectwill generate positiveripple effects to such indirectbeneficiaries as the broader population across all APEC economies due to the wide-ranging socio-economic impact of strengthening connectivity within the tourismsector.
