Sustainable tourism development discussed

Photo: Tuoi Tre

Delegates from Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines, Mongolia and Vietnam discussed sustainable tourism development at a workshop in Ha Long City of the northern coastal Quang Ninh Province on Tuesday.

At the workshop held within the framework East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF), Asso. Prof. Tran Thi Minh Hoa from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities Tourism Faculty spoke of advantages for the development of sea, sports, cultural and ecological tourism models in Quang Ninh province.

Quang Ninh is one of the country’s four tourism centers and the home of world-famous Ha Long Bay, twice recognized by the UNESCO for its landscapes and geological values, said Hoa.

The delegates suggested Quang Ninh could zone off deluxe tourism areas, invest in clean energy, develop tourism products and engage in human resources training.

Meanwhile, Dr Milagros C. Espina from the San Jose University of the Philippines introduced a waste management and natural resources program called Winning over Waste (WOW).

The success of WOW will encourage similar activities in EATOF and reduce the threat of climate change, he said, emphasizing the necessity for the exchange of information among cultures on WOW and other initiatives.

EATOF must have a comprehensive policy on environmental protection from climate change and develop a program for its members to assist one another, he said.

The workshop also heard speeches on rural tourism development in Indonesia’s Yogyakarta province, tourism education in Mongolia, tourism under the ocean and a new change in adventurous tourism development in Sarawak in Malaysia.

An EATOF travel fair opened in Ha Long city on teh same day as one of the forum’s first activities.

The two-day fair saw the participation of travel agencies from eight provinces, namely Cebu (the Philippines), Gangwon (South Korea), Luang Prabang (Laos), Sarawak (Malaysia), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Tottori (Japan), Tuv (Mongolia) and Yogyakarta (Indonesia).

Vietnamese travel agencies from Hanoi, Quang Ninh and the northern port city of Hai Phong also introduced their tourism products at the event.

The second sea tourism and flight route committee was reestablished at a conference held by the EATOF organizing board on the same day.

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Quang Ninh seeks to draw more tourists

Tourists visit Ha Long Bay, the leading attraction in the northern province of Quang Ninh. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Dan

HA NOI — The northern province of Quang Ninh needs to tailor plans for luxury and mass tourism, invest in clean energy, develop tourism products and engage in human resource training to attract more tourists, a conference heard yesterday.

At a workshop held by the East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF), the Viet Nam National University's College of Social Sciences and Humanities' Tourism faculty director, Tran Thi Minh Hoa said that just 500,000 tourists had visited Quang Ninh Province in 2000.

In 2009, the figure had grown to 2.7 million tourists or 71.9 per cent of the country's visitors and the province was now one of Viet Nam's four major tourism centres, she said.

Quang Ninh was one of the country's four tourism centres and home to world-famous Ha Long Bay, twice recognised by UNESCO for its landscapes and geological values, said Hoa.

Environment

Philippine delegate Dr Milagros C. Espina of the University of San Jose Recoletos and a member of the Cebu City Tourism Commission addressed the forum on the War on Waste (WOW) programme designed to manage and protect natural resources.

Dr Espina emphasised that a destination with a well-protected environment would attract more tourists.

The success of the WOW programme would encourage other EATOF member countries to participate in similar activities to reduce the threat of climate change, he said.

Dr Espina said EATOF must have a strong and comprehensive policy to protect the environment while it also needed a programme to support countries or people affected by climate change.

The forum also discussed rural tourism in Indonesia; tourism education in Mongolia to match demographic change; a heightened role in local communities in developing sustainable tourism; the feasibility of combining education and tourism and underwater tourism.

Regional links

The forum's Chartered Flight and Cruise Committee established to foster regional tourism through the strengthening of air and sea links between member countries also met yesterday.

It is also tasked with collating flight and cruise schedules.

Its 40 members are drawn from tourist, airline and transport company offices and State agencies.

World Tourism Organisation representative Garry Kingshott described the trend and prospects for low-cost transport in Asia, and how it could be used to support regional tourism.

Participants also discussed the promotion and advertising of chartered flights and cruises and committee regulations and operations.

The East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF)'s members are Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines, Mongolia and Viet Nam. — VNS

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