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ASEAN to form ecotourism clusters
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A wet rice field in Nyambu Village, Tabanan, Bali, is an attractive form of local ecotourism. (-/-)
T
ourism chiefs of the 10 ASEAN member countries have approved a declaration manifesting their common desire to boost tourism growth and align regional ecotourism destinations during a roundtable in Champasak, Laos on Wednesday as part of the first-ever ASEAN Ecotourism Forum.
The Pakse Declaration on Roadmap for Strategic Development of Ecotourism Clusters and Tourism Corridors focuses on sketching a partnership plan in sustainably using natural resources, bringing economic benefits to locals in rural areas, and developing the subregional ecotourism network. The declaration will be submitted to leaders of the association at the ASEAN Summit in Vientiane in September.
The tourism chiefs asked ASEAN tourism agencies to collaborate in implementing the roadmap in coordination with ASEAN partners, including international organizations and ASEAN centers in China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, as well as the private sector.
They hailed Laos’ idea to hold the forum, which gives a chance to both public and private sectors in Asean’s tourism industry to form a network and seek strategies for tourism development.
They underscored the importance of the connectivity between ecotourism destinations with roads and waterways, thus setting up ecotourism clusters and corridors throughout ASEAN members regardless of geographical and natural borders.
This will open up new economic prospects in areas along roads and sea routes, they affirmed, describing it as an important economic initiative for job creation and community development, which helps revive natural resources and bring changes to poor rural areas.
