UNWTO Member States met at the 35th session of the Joint Committee on East Asia, the Pacific and South Asia to assess the main challenges to tourism development in the region in the coming years.
UNWTO Member States from the Asia-Pacific region met as the recovery from the pandemic’s impact on tourism steadily accelerates. According to UNWTO data:
Around the world, twice as many people traveled abroad in the first three months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, with global tourism returning to 80% of pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, in Asia-Pacific, international arrivals returned to 54% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of the quarter. Recovery across the region is expected to accelerate as China resumes tourism. China became the world’s largest tourism source market in 2019. Reflecting the importance of this moment, a high-level UNWTO delegation visited China in February to mark the official reopening.
The Asia-Pacific region plays an important role in the current state of the sector. It is a top-source market and center of tourism innovation, home to many of the world’s biggest companies and most exciting destinations.
“It is no exaggeration to say that the global tourism industry’s attention has been on Asia and the Pacific over the past year,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Polokashvili. “The Asia-Pacific region plays a key role in the current state of our sector.Asia-Pacific is a top-source market and center of tourism innovation, home to many of the world’s leading companies and most exciting companies. It is the home of the destination.”
Demonstrating Cambodia’s strong political support for the UNWTO mandate, Prime Minister Hun Sen met with the Secretary-General to discuss the steady acceleration of tourism in the region post-pandemic, as well as the sustainability of tourism in the country and around the world. emphasized the importance of this sector for economic development. wider area.
UNWTO welcomed the participation of representatives from 25 countries, including 15 ministers, deputy ministers of tourism, and ambassadors, to the Joint Commission on East Asia and the Joint Commission on Pacific and South Asia. The conference was held in conjunction with the 55th UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific (CAP), the 59th UNWTO Commission for South Asia (CSA), and the UNWTO International Covenant for the Protection of Tourists. UNWTO Member Roundtable.
Member States in the Asia-Pacific region support UNWTO priorities
Member States were provided with an overview of UNWTO’s achievements in moving tourism forward, based on UNWTO’s work program and current priorities.
Education: Of the 300 education programs accredited by UNWTO’s Ted.Qual initiative, 160 are offered in the Asia-Pacific region, supporting the career growth of tourism professionals. To support youth empowerment, UNWTO has also launched a national version of the Student League, and China is currently developing its own version. Investing in tourism: Promoting the implementation of a sustainable investment framework to boost tourism investment and job creation in a post-pandemic world was a key focus of the UNWTO executive training program in South Korea last November. That was one of the purposes. UNWTO then invited its members to the 2023 World Tourism Day Celebration (September 27) in Phnom Penh, with the theme of “Green Investment”. Sustainability: UNWTO announced that the Batanes Tourism Observatory in the Philippines has become a new member of the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO), with Japanese institutions expected to follow soon.
Promoting international norms for tourist protection
Prior to the Committee’s meeting, UNWTO held a special conference on the International Code for the Protection of Tourists (ICPT). here:
Cambodia, Maldives and Indonesia have signed a new UNWTO International Covenant for the Protection of Tourists. UNWTO Member States in the Asia-Pacific region have adopted the Phnom Penh Declaration on the ICPT and are committed to its implementation to ensure a clear, transparent and efficient framework to protect tourists as consumers and foster confidence in travel. promoted.
Affiliate Member Roundtable
Themed “Public-private cooperation is at the core of sustainable development in tourism”, the discussion will focus on the importance of finding mechanisms to strengthen dialogue between all tourism stakeholders and promote sustainable practices. He presented concrete examples of initiatives and projects carried out by affiliate members. Tourism department.
Looking to the future
In accordance with UNWTO legal obligations, Member States of East Asia and the Pacific region nominated China, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea as regional representatives on the UNWTO Executive Council.
The two committees, East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia, also agreed:
The 36th joint session of the UNWTO East Asia and Pacific Commission and the UNWTO South Asia Commission is scheduled to be held in Cebu, Philippines in 2024. World Tourism Day 2025 will be held under the theme “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation”. Hosted by Malaysia.
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