APEC meeting reaffirms importance of tourism in economic growth

NARA, Japan, Sept. 23 Kyodo -
Top tourism officials from Pacific Rim economies reaffirmed Thursday that
tourism plays a key role in their economic growth as they adopted a declaration
at the conclusion of their two-day meeting in the ancient city of Nara.
The 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum recognized ''the
economic importance of tourism, including the creation of jobs, reduction of
poverty and conservation of the environment.''
In the Nara Declaration on Tourism, they also confirmed their willingness ''to
expand new and emerging types of tourism, such as medical and wellness tourism,
religious events tourism, sports tourism, cruise tourism, ecotourism, and
meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions/events.''
At a press conference following the meeting, Land, Infrastructure, Transport
and Tourism Minister Sumio Mabuchi, its chair, said the biggest achievement of
the gathering was that the member economies ''shared the understanding that
tourism is part of the growth strategy'' for the APEC region.
The declaration will be forwarded to the annual APEC summit meeting to be held
in Yokohama in November, and the officials decided to urge the APEC leaders to
include in their own declaration a statement on the contribution that tourism
can make.
In the sessions that began Wednesday in the city, the officials reported on
their tourism industries and measures they have taken to attract travelers,
while discussing the role of tourism in economic growth and the various risks
that affect the industry.
But the focus of attention was on the representatives of host Japan and China
as tensions between the two key APEC members grow following the collisions
earlier this month between a Chinese fishing boat and Japan Coast Guard vessels
off the disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
Zhu Shangzhong, who represented China in the meeting, skipped a reception
hosted by Mabuchi on Wednesday and did not attend the joint press conference
after the meeting.
Another China representative, Zhang Xilong, who attended the press conference
in place of Zhu, said that Japan is responsible for the bilateral row and
warned that it could have a further impact on tourism between the two countries
and also within APEC.
Japan sees tourism as a key industry for rebuilding its economy and is seeking
to increase the number of visitors, but the row has led to cancellations of
travel, concerts and other cultural and governmental exchanges with China.
==Kyodo