9 June 2003BANGKOK - Senior tourism officials of the Asia Pacific
Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum begin talks today in the
resort town of Pattaya on the way forward for the region's
tourism industry in the wake of the SARS crisis.
The 22nd Apec Tourism Working Group and the third Apec
Tourism Forum was originally scheduled to take place in
April, but was postponed due SARS.
Attending will be delegates from Australia, Canada,
Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia,
Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore,
Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Sates.
The tourism meeting is part of a series of Apec events
taking place in Thailand this year.
Trade ministers met in Thailand last week and Apec's
leaders will attend a summit in October held in
Bangkok.
"Thailand is fortunate to be hosting so many important
Apec meetings during these difficult days," said governor
of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Juthamas Siriwan.
"Many of the decisions reached here will have an important
bearing on the future of the Asia-Pacific region and the
world."
The 22nd Apec Tourism Working Group and the third Apec
Tourism Forum will run from June 9-14 and will include a
one-day tourism forum on June 12, open to media
representatives. The forum theme is "Sustainable Pathways
to Quality and Value in Tourism in the Apec Region" which
will be addressed by a number of prominent speakers from
Australia, Hong Kong and Canada.