ASEAN+3 to meet in Yogyakarta
ASEAN+3 to meet in Yogyakarta
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The tourism ministers of the 10 ASEAN countries, along with
those from China, Japan, and Republic of Korea, will gather later
this week in Yogyakarta to forge a partnership in tourism, the
ASEAN secretariat said.
The "ASEAN+3" tourism ministers will gather on Friday, one day
after the ASEAN tourism ministers hold their annual gathering,
the secretariat said in a statement over the weekend.
It said that the Yogyakarta gathering would focus on
cooperation in tourism promotion, human resources development and
the use of information technology.
It added that the first meeting of the ASEAN+3 tourism
ministers was very timely as there was an urgent need for
increased tourism in view of the global economic downturn and the
drop in global tourism following the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.
During the gathering, China will be represented by Chinese
National Tourism Administration's chairman Gang Sun, Japan by
Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Jiro Hanyu
and South Korea by Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism Hyung Kyu
Yoon.
The ASEAN+3 tourism ministerial gathering is one of the main
events in the ASEAN tourism meeting to be held in Yogyakarta for
five days from Thursday until Jan. 28.
On Thursday, the ASEAN tourism ministers will hold their
annual gathering to discuss the draft ASEAN Tourism Agreement
which is expected to be signed by the ASEAN leaders during the
ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh later this year.
The ASEAN Tourism Agreement covers tourism and travel
facilitation, liberalization of intra-ASEAN transport services,
tourism manpower development, mobility of tourism professionals
and enhancing traveler's safety and security.
Another tourism event to be held in Yogyakarta is the ASEAN
Tourism Forum (ATF), which will be officially opened by President
Megawati Soekarnoputri on Friday and will run through Jan. 28.
Aside from the ATF, the organizers will also hold the ASEAN
Travex (Travel Exchange), which is a forum for tourism sellers
and buyers to make deals.