PRESS RELEASE

Third Meeting of the GTI Tourism Board was held in Vladivostok

VLADIVOSTOK, 21 May 2010 – The Third Meeting of the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Tourism Board was successfully held on 21 May 2010 in Vladivostok, Russia, within the framework of the 14th Far-Eastern International Tourism Exhibition “DalTour-2010”. The Meeting provided an effective platform for strengthening practical cooperation on tourism development amongst the GTI member states - China, Mongolia, Republic of Korea and Russian Federation.

Organised by the GTI Tumen Secretariat and hosted by the Primorsky Territory Administration, this Meeting summoned members of the GTI Tourism Board, central and local government officials, and representatives from UNWTO, tourism associations and tourism companies.

This Meeting was organised to further promote regional tourism cooperation in Northeast Asia via facilitation of the activities of GTI Tourism Board and to foster the private sector network in pursuance of tourism products improvement, what finally will support the socio-economic development in the Greater Tumen Region.

To enhance the efficiency of GTI tourism activities, Oleg Shcheka, Director of the Department of the International Cooperation and Tourism of Primorsky Territory, Russia, was elected as the Chairperson of the GTI Tourism Board for a term of one year on rotating basis.

During the Meeting, the GTI Tourism Board reviewed a number of tourism projects, including GTI Tourism Guide, GTI Tourism Visa Study, and Concept Note on the Multi-destination Tourism Development Project. Further steps on the promotion of GTI tourism projects were identified and the tendencies of regional tour and eco-tourism development were discussed. Presentations were made by Primorsky Territory, Russia; Mongolian National Tourism Centre; Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of ROK; Busan City and Gangwon Province of ROK; Jilin Province, China; and UNWTO.

It was announced that the First Northeast Asia Tourism Forum will be held in Changchun, China in conjunction with the 11th Meeting of GTI Consultative Commission. The participants displayed strong support of the Changchun event to further discuss tourism issues and regional cooperation in Northeast Asia.

United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) also displayed strong support for the future GTI tourism activities, and agreed to provide assistance to the GTI Tourism Board in the organisation of capacity building, skills development, joint marketing and promotion of GTI as a single tourism destination under the framework of GTI Tourism Action Plan 2010-2012.

The participants agreed that the Fourth Meeting of GTI Tourism Board will be held in 2011, in one of the GTI member countries.

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Background information

The Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) (originally known as the Tumen River Area Development Programme - TRADP), is an intergovernmental cooperation mechanism in Northeast Asia, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with a membership of four countries: People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Mongolia and Russian Federation. It functions as a unique intergovernmental platform for economic cooperation in Northeast Asia and serves as a catalyst for policy dialogue and cooperation in the areas of transportation, energy, tourism, investment and environment.