Asia Plans Platform for Regional Tourism Cooperation

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, November 20, 2002

Asia Plans Platform for Regional Tourism Cooperation

Asia's tourism industry professionals intend setting up a platform to boost regional cooperation and achieve common economic growth and a prosperous tourism sector across the vast continent.

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Asia's tourism industry professionals intend setting up a platform to boost regional cooperation and achieve common economic growth and a prosperous tourism sector across the vast continent.

The 500 honorable participants from more than 30 countries and regions who gathered in the prestigious scenic city of Guilin in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, at the Bo'ao Forum for Asia - Tourism Conference discussed prospects and policies for Asian tourism and adopted the Guilin Declaration.

Asia is the largest continent in the world, where 60 percent of the world's population is concentrated. It boasts the age-old history and culture, breath-taking natural landscapes, and vivid, diversified and fascinating ethnic features.

Tourism has become an integral component part of all economies in the region, drawing more and more worldwide attention. Meanwhile, the tourist industry in the region is also confronted with a number of stark challenges including security and the need for sustainable tourism.

Forum participants believe that more concrete and diversified regional cooperation could be an effective solution to tackle these problems amid a global economic slowdown.

Surakiat Sathirathai, coordinator with the Asia Cooperation Dialogue and Thai minister of foreign affairs, said that Asian countries and regions should take advantage of the diversity in natural environments and cultural heritage to cooperate over regional tourism. He also held that the forum mechanism would help promote Asian tourism as a whole.

Myra P. Gunawan, deputy chairman for tourism affairs of the Indonesia Culture and Tourism Board, noted that the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had agreed to promote ASEAN as a single tourist destination so as to help increase their share of the world tourism market.

The Sept. 11 terror attacks, the recent Bali bombing and other terrorist assaults had produced lingering negative impacts on tourism, which greatly concerned all the participants.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan cited stability as a prime factor to the fast growth of Asian tourism, which called for joint efforts by all parties concerned and cooperation based on mutual respect.

Participants also reached consensus on a number of ideas and envisages concerning specific cooperation. Several delegates believed that it should start with information sharing and the training of professionals.

Australian and Chinese tourism experts have already launched training programs for senior tourism executives for some countries and regions at the forum.

As the host country, China has always valued tourism exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation with other Asian countries and regions. Of the 11.23 million overseas arrivals to China in 2001, 62 percent of the travelers came from across Asia. The destinations for Chinese outbound travelers were also mainly Asian.

He Guangwei, director of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) said, "China and Asian countries and regions are reciprocal destinations and sources for international tourism, forming a dual-track and interactive framework for tourist cooperation."

Guilin, the picturesque host city, epitomizes in a concentrated way the substantial achievements China's tourist industry has scored in sustainable tourism. Delegates to the forum spoke highly of the prosperous development in Chinese tourism and are convinced that the forum would further enhance China's image as a safe and sound tourist destination.

Meanwhile, Asia is the fastest-growing region in world tourism. With the concerted efforts of all parties, Asia's fast-developing tourism can retain the title.

As Chen Jinhua, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference said, the successful convocation of the forum ushered in a new phase of regional cooperation for Asian tourism and injected a new impetus for regional prosperity and development.

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