UNWTO Admires RI Tourism' Minister

Manado, N Sulawesi, Jan 13 (ANTARA) - United Nations for World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General Taleb D Rifai on Friday admired the success of Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu in chairing ASEAN Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Manado, North Sulawesi. "I admire how she chairs the meeting in which all things can run well and smoothly," the (UNWTO) secretary general said, adding that it was the first time for him to attend the ASEAN tourism ministerial meeting. According to Taleb, ASEAN has taken a positive step toward tourism development in the region, and therefore he was optimistic that ASEAN step to creating "single destination" of tourism would increase tourist arrivals in the region until next 20 years. He said the level of world tourist visits would increase even more and in 2015 they would turn their direction to the countries with "emerging market." Taleb said that in 2011 tourist arrivals in Southeast Asia reached 9 percent, but with the concept of ASEAN as single destination the number of tourist visits to the region would increase more and more. He added that ASEAN tourism ministers effort to include creative industry in the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) was very good for the diversification of tourism.