Tourism forum focuses on sustainable development

The East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF) wrapped up in Ha Long city, the northeastern province of Quang Ninh on September 16, affirming its commitment to sustainable development in the region.

The three-day EATOF 2010 reaffirmed the significance and role of the regional organisation in the new context, and stressed provinces’ commitments to fulfill their responsibility and rights as EATOF members.
At the closing ceremony, Quang Ninh province’s leaders transferred EATOF’s flag to Cebu province of the Philippines, the host of the next forum.

Themed, “For sustainable development in East Asia”, delegates discussed tourism-related issues with the aim of building a sustainable EATOF.

Within the framework of the forum, a travel fair was held with the participation of over 30 booths from member provinces promoting their images and tourist products.

Also, a series of workshops and bilateral meetings among EATOF took place, offering opportunities for cooperation, investment and tourism development in each locality.

Established in 1999, EATOF consists of Cebu of the Philippines, Chiang Mai of Thailand, Gangwon of the Republic of Korea, Jilin of China, Luang Prabang of Laos, Primorsky territory of Russia, Quang Ninh of Vietnam, Sarawak of Malaysia, Siem Riep of Cambodia, Tottori of Japan, Tuv of Mongolia and Yogyakarta of Indonesia./.

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EATOF members show strengths in tourism

Vice Chairwoman of the Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Committee Nhu Thi Hong Lien has noted the strength of the connectivity among East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF) members in the tourism sector’s developments in the context of global economic difficulties.

Addressing the EATOF mayors’ meeting in Ha Long city in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh on Sept. 15, Vice Chairwoman Lien suggested EATOF increase the exchange of information through fairs and major events of each country and promote bilateral cooperation among EATOF member provinces.

EATOF member nations should select typical programmes of each locality for exchanging experiences, she said.

For his part, Vice Mayor of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Gangwon province Kang Ki-Chang, suggested changing tourism environments, upgrading tourism infrastructure and increasing coordination among EATOF member countries as solutions to developing tourism.

EATOF member countries should preserve and bring into play cultural and tourism values with a focus on green tourism and tourism for the community’s interest while updating tourism information and advertising tourism on the Internet, he said.

The participants also put forward recommendations to boost connectivity and cooperation within EATOF.

At the meeting, the mayors voted for Ha Long Bay as a world natural wonder and signed a joint declaration for sustainable development in East Asia .

EATOF bilateral meetings between member provinces also took place on Sept. 15./.

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