Thirty-one nations along the Silk Road have taken part in a tourism policy meeting in Seoul.

The fifth UNWTO Silk Road Task Force Meeting was held on April 23 and 24 where participants discussed tourism promotion strategies and implementation along the ancient Silk Road. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hosted the meeting, and 50 country representatives, professionals and officials, including Zhu Shanzhong, the executive director for technical cooperation and services at the UNWTO, were in attendance.



"Culture and tourism have unlimited power to unite people, regardless of time, nationality, race or ideology," said Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Chong. "They are the source of creativity that turns imagination into reality."

"The Silk Road program contributes to mutual understanding across Eurasia and to the promotion of tourism. It goes hand in hand with the Eurasia Initiative proposed by the Korean government," he added.




Participants in the meeting shared their tourism policies and successful case studies. They discussed how to promote international exchanges between workforces, visa policies to boost tourism, the effective management of tourist attractions and overall cooperation. The Korean government spoke about ancient cultural exchanges that are reflected in artifacts found in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang Province), and its various tourism promotion strategies, including the hosting of the Istanbul-Gyeongju World Culture Expo.

The Silk Road Task Force was established in 2011 to boost international cooperation and to share tourism strategies and case studies. The task force is now making efforts to implement the UNWTO Silk Road Program, an international scheme designed to promote the development of sustainable tourism.



By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
jun2@korea.kr