ASEAN meet to promote tourism cooperation

Tourism officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) +3 (China, Japan and South Korea) have met in Phnom Penh to promote regional cooperation in tourism."The meeting is to boost closer tourism cooperation for better tourism growth in ASEAN as well as in the three countries - China, Japan and South Korea," Cambodian Ministry of Tourism director general Tith Chantha said, reported Xinhua News Agency.

"We appeal to them to continue existing cooperation and intensify their assistance to develop ASEAN tourism, especially on human resources development."According to Mr Chantha, in 2010, ASEAN received more than 70 million international visitors, with more than 10 million originating from China, Japan and South Korea.

China National Tourism International Relations Division deputy director Wang Yanjie said that China sees ASEAN countries as a source of potential growth for its own tourism.Ms Yanjie added that China will continue to assist the development of ASEAN tourism through human resource training and by encouraging more Chinese travellers to visit ASEAN nations.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, officials from Japan and South Korea have also reaffirmed their commitment to the continuing technical and financial development of ASEAN tourism.The meeting is a part of the 30th ASEAN Tourism Forum, taking place on 15-21 January.

The event will host a summit of ASEAN tourism ministers, as well as tourism delegates from China, Japan, South Korea, India and Russia. There will also be a tourism expo, which expects to draw more than 2,000 exhibitors from tourism companies, travel agencies and airlines in ASEAN countries.

Source = etravelblackboard