The 9th TPO Forum to Be Held in Sanya, China from 28th to 30th... Over 180 Participants Including Busan as Chair City, TPO Member Cities, and World Tourism Organizations
Discussion on Sustainable Tourism Development and Sharing of Tourism Policies and Cooperation among TPO Member Cities
From June 28 to 30, the city of Busan participated in the 9th TPO (Tourism Promotion Organization for Asia Pacific Cities) Forum held in Sanya, China.
Marking its 9th edition this year, the TPO Forum gathers member cities such as Guangzhou in China, Ipoh in Malaysia, Jakarta in Indonesia, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, as well as tourism experts, to discuss strategies for the development of the tourism industry.
This year’s event was the first in-person forum held in six years since the pandemic, with international tourism organizations such as UN Tourism and the World Tourism Forum Institute participating, adding significance to the occasion.
More than 180 tourism experts and industry representatives attended, including UN Tourism, Trip.com, the World Tourism Forum Institute, the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, and i-CATS University College from Malaysia.
The event, held under the theme "Open Cooperation and Innovative Development for Sustainable Tourism," consisted of an opening ceremony, three thematic sessions, and a panel discussion.
The topics for each session were: "Public-Private Cooperation for Sustainable Tourism," "Integration of Culture, Economy, and Sports for Tourism Industry Innovation," and "Cases of Sustainable Tourism," totaling three subjects.
Key speakers included Harry Hwang, Director of the Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific at UN Tourism; Bulut Bagci, President of the World Tourism Forum Institute; Bowen Sun, Executive Director at Trip.com; Ika Kusuma Permana Sari, Director at the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy; and Son Hyungtae, Head of Hanatour Hong Kong Corporation.
Notably, in the third session, Kim Donghoon, Director of Tourism Policy at Busan City, presented Busan's flagship tourism project, "Global Workation," and actively promoted the city's policies and vision as it aims to become a global tourism hub.
Additionally, cities such as Alor Setar in Malaysia, Jakarta in Indonesia, and Zhengzhou in China shared exemplary cases for sustainable tourism.
Woo Kyungha, Secretary-General of the TPO, stated, "This forum is a large-scale international event co-hosted with organizations such as UN Tourism for the first time in six years since the pandemic. It will provide new ideas for sustainable tourism and serve as a platform connecting city governments around the world. TPO will continue to promote tourism exchange and cooperation among cities worldwide."
Park Hyungjun, Mayor of Busan and President of the TPO, said, "This forum is a great opportunity to promote Busan's efforts and achievements in sustainable tourism, such as the global workation project, to TPO member cities and global tourism experts. Moving forward, we will strengthen our city branding as a 'global tourism hub city' by utilizing overseas networks and fostering mutual cooperation and exchange with member cities."
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