The APEC Tourism Working Group (TWG) today held its 29^th meeting at the Palm Garden Resort in Hoi An ancient town, Quang Nam province in preparation for the fourth APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting scheduled on October 16-18.

During three working days from October 13-14, the delegates from 21 APEC member economies are expected to review the implementation of APEC tourism co-operation projects and work out proposals and new projects to be submitted at the APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting for approval.
These will include Vietnam’s initiatives regarding the organisation of APEC Tourism Festivals, APEC Investment and Tourism Forum and establishment of direct air routes to the world cultural heritages situated in APEC countries.
They will also discuss measures to boost tourism within APEC in the coming time, check the implementation of the policy goals in the APEC Tourism Charter and then propose and launch the implementation of APEC tourism co-operation projects in 2007 with the intention of turning tourism into a key industry in the region.
The delegates to APEC Tourism Working Group (TWG) highly valued Vietnam’s efforts in preparing for the meeting and the upcoming meeting among APEC Tourism Ministers despite the serious consequences caused by the recent typhoon.
Sustainable tourism is a key economic driver for the Asia-Pacific region, creating jobs and promoting investment and development. It is reported that as many as 14 tourism co-operation projects were carried out in the 2001-2004 period.
The Tourism Working Group (TWG) was formed in 1991 when it was recognised that the tourism industry was of growing importance in promoting economic growth and social development in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), tourism and travel in the APEC region currently account for:
·                     More than 100 million employed; by 2010 employment in travel and tourism in the APEC region will increase by more than 25% creating an additional 30 million new jobs;
·                     Over US $2 trillion in travel and tourism-related demand; total tourism and travel demand in 2010 is expected to exceed US $3 trillion;
·                     Approximately US $400 billion in export earnings which will increase by almost 66% by 2010; and
·                     One-quarter of world international visitor arrivals and more than one-third of global international visitor expenditure.

Further APEC tourism co-operation will:
·                     conclude Stage 4 of the APEC Tourism Occupational Skills Standards which covers developing network of skills standardisation institutions, Committees, Certification and Accreditation in the tourism industry;
·                     conclude Best Practices in Sustainable Tourism Management Initiatives for APEC Economies which examines and identifies exemplary/successful practices covering various major aspects of sustainable tourism management from both the public and private sectors, particularly in the APEC economies; and
·                     launch Stage 3 of the Tourism Impediments Study, a project approved by the BMC and endorsed by the 17^th APEC Ministers Meeting in November 2005; and
·                     launch Strengthening Safety and Security Best Practices Against Terrorism for Sustainable Tourism Development, a project approved by BMC 1 in March 2006.

Documents completed for APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting

The Tourism Working Group (TWG) on October 14 completed all documents including a draft of the “Hoi An Declaration on Promotion of APEC Tourism Co-operation” to be submitted to the forthcoming APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting scheduled on October 16-17.
Delegates focused on discussing proposals to the TMM-4 and reviewed the implementation of projects carried out in line with the APEC Tourism Charter and reports of working groups.
They heard reports delivered by guest observers such as the APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism (AICST), the Pacific Asia Tourism Association (PATA), and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The information including the development of tourism in the region and the world, tourist products tourism markets are of great value for member economies to design policies and programmes to promote tourism potential.
The delegates also reviewed the operation of TWG and the emerging issues. They were of the same view that the group showed effective operation in recent time together with its more import role in the situation that tourism is considered a key economic sector which contributes to poverty reduction, environmental protection, promotion of cultural exchange, strengthening of peace and friendship among nations. They agreed that further efforts would be needed to make TWG more active in boosting regional tourism.
It was announced that the next meeting of the APEC Tourism Working Group will be held in Australia in 2007.
Regarding the upcoming APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting, Mr Pham Huu Minh, head of the Tourism Promotion Department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said that the participants widely praised the host’s efforts in organising TWG meeting in a short time following the recent serious typhoon.
Meanwhile, Prof. Ray Spurr, policy advisor for the Centre for Tourism Policy Studies within the World Travel and Tourism Council, said he believed that the APEC meetings would help promote Vietnam’s attractive destinations and encourage international co-operation in this field.
He revealed that the World Travel and Tourism Council would consider the assistance for those tourist areas in APEC countries hit by natural disasters.  

By MINH CUONG and KHAI HOAN
(Source: Nhan Dan)