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Tourism Working Group |
Sustainable tourism is a key economic driver for the Asia-Pacific region, creating jobs and promoting investment and development.
The APEC Tourism Charter, endorsed at the 1st Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Korea in 2000, constitutes the basis for APEC tourism cooperation. The Charter reflects a collective commitment to improve the economic, cultural, social and environmental well-being of APEC member economies through tourism. It establishes four key policy goals and an agreed process for realising these aims:
- Removal of impediments to tourism business and investment (chaired by Thailand)
- Increase mobility of visitors and demand for tourism goods and services (chaired by Indonesia)
- Sustainable management of tourism outcomes and impacts (chaired by New Zealand)
- Enhance recognition and understanding of tourism as a vehicle for economic and social development (chaired by Australia).
The Tourism Working Group (TWG) was formed in 1991. It brings tourism administrators together to share information, exchange views and develop areas of cooperation on tourism trade and policies.
The TWG's objective is to foster economic development in the Asia-Pacific region through sustainable tourism recognising that: tourism is one the region's fastest growing industries and is of significant importance to the economic development of APEC economies; tourism is important in fostering regional understanding and cooperation; the tourism industry in member economies is at different levels of development; and member economies share the common goal of quality development and services.
Achievements
The 5th Tourism Ministerial Meeting was held in Lima, Peru in April 2008 with the theme "Towards Responsible Tourism in the Asia-Pacific Region."
Ministers endorsed The Pachacamac Declaration which voices support for joint strategies to guide responsible tourism in the region. The Declaration emphasises social, corporate and environmental responsibility, promotes the implementation of renewable energy and encourages social inclusion that contributes to the economic development of local communities. The Declaration also promotes better air connectivity to facilitate tourism and foreign trade.
Discussions and presentations were held on: Social Inclusion and Indigenous Tourism; Corporate Social Responsibility; Environmental Responsibility; Cultural Tourism; Aviation Connectivity; and Cruise Development in the APEC Region.
Economies also shared information on what they are doing on ecotourism and environmental standards for tourism, hotels and particular geographical areas. They also reported on the rational use of resources in the development of tourism to facilitate the protection and preservation of natural regional assets.
The 35th Tourism Working Group Meeting was held in Cusco, Peru in October 2009. The TWG considered issues including the impact of the global financial crisis on tourism, the promotion of the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) industry, and the management of Community-Based Tourism (CBT) in the region.
Members agreed that while the financial crisis had some negative impacts on tourism, most economies still actively expanded and developed their domestic tourism activities. Members also recognised the potential of the MICE industry and planned to raise awareness among government and related agencies to gain greater support for this industry.
Importantly the TWG agreed to continue focusing on better CBT management to stimulate direct employment, increase income levels and reduce poverty in rural communities especially among women and youths.
Current Activities
The TWG has undertaken a number of activities and projects in 2010 including:
The "Capacity Building on Tourism Satellite Account as the basis for Promoting Liberalisation and Facilitation in Tourism Services" survey which was conducted between 2009 and 2010. The survey assessed member economies' development and implementation of the Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSA) structure. The results of the survey were consolidated into a handbook which highlighted best practice examples. Four workshops were held in March and April in Brunei, Indonesia, Peru and Thailand to assess members' capabilities and devise actions plans for economies to adopt and implement their TSAs.
The "Best Practices in Key Rural Tourism Resources Managed by Local Communities (Thermal Resources)" workshop was held in Cusco, Peru in March. The main objective was to improve CBT management in thermal tourism in rural areas. A manual on the workshop's outcomes (including implementation guidelines and best practice case studies) is currently being produced, which will serve as an important resource for tourism organisations in the region.
The "Identification of Best Practice in the Use of Clean Technologies as a Source of Energy in Hostelry" workshop was also held in Cusco, Peru in March. The objective was to identify best practice examples and promote the use of clean technologies in hostelries in rural areas. Solar and wind technology were presented as possible tools to assist future development. A manual containing implementation guidelines and best practice case studies is also currently being produced.
The TWG held its 36th meeting in Lombok, Indonesia in May. Issues discussed included expanding tourism investment, focusing on MICE and ICTs, and increasing engagement with multilateral organisations, businesses and other APEC groups. The TWG also agreed to draft a five-year strategic plan to tactically address these issues.
The 37th TWG meeting and the 6th Tourism Ministerial Meeting will be held in Nara, Japan from 18-23 September 2010.
Tourism Working Group (TWG) - Key Contacts
Lead Shepherd
Ms Helen Marano
Director
Office of Travel and Tourism Industries
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room 1003
Washington, DC 20230 USA
Tel: (1 202) 482 0140/4752
Fax: (1 202) 482 2887
Email: Helen.Marano@trade.gov; helen.marano@mail.doc.gov
Website: http://tinet.ita.doc.gov
APEC Secretariat
Mr Toni Widhiastono
Director (Program)
E-mail: tw@apec.org
Reviewed on: 28 June 2010