Deputy Minister for Hotels and Tourism U Phyo Zaw Soe urged the Asia-Pacific commu­nity at the 36th CAP-CSA meeting in the Philippines on 28 June to prioritize investment in new technologies addressing climate change in tourism, emphasiz­ing the need for measures to prevent environmental damage during tourist attraction devel­opment and the establishment of comprehensive policies and strengthened institutions.

A Myanmar delegation led by the deputy minister attended the 36th Joint Commission Meet­ing of the UN World Tourism Organization Commission for East Asia and the Commission for South Asia (CAP-CSA), as well as the First UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific, held on 26-28 June 2024 in Cebu, the Philippines.

On 26 June, the deputy min­ister attended the opening cer­emony of the First UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific, as well as a round-table discus­sion held at the Shangri-La Mac­tan Hotel in Cebu City, the Phil­ippines. During the discussion, representatives from the Phil­ippines, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand discussed promoting destinations, developing tour­ism attractions, and establishing important policies for gastron­omy tourism, emphasizing the importance of local community participation in maximizing the industry’s benefits.

The delegates also dis­cussed reducing food waste and using more local products, achievements in gastronomy tourism in Asia and the Pacific, as well as Cebu City’s efforts to develop gastronomy tourism. Similarly, representatives of the UN World Tourism Organ­ization spoke about the FAO Mountain Partnership project, market intelligence, policies and measures for enhancing com­petitiveness.

On 27 June, the Myanmar delegation led by the deputy minister visited the villages that won the UN Tourism award for best tourism destination. — MNA/TH