Encouraging the participation of local people is part of the measures to promote sustainable tourism development. The issue was put on table at an APEC high level policy dialogue in northern Quang Ninh province on June 19.

According to United Nations World Tourism Organisation, tourism in many developing and least developed countries is the most viable and sustainable economic development option.

If tourism is managed with a strong focus on poverty alleviation, it can directly benefit the poorer groups through employment of local people in tourism enterprises, goods and services provided to tourists, or the running of small and community-based enterprises, etc, having positive impacts on reducing poverty.

Drawing the participation of local people in tourism activities is among the recommendations for Vietnam to develop tourism.

Mr. Alan Bollard - Executive Director of APEC Secretariat said tourism development is not only the matter of increasing tourist arrivals but also boosting local people’s living standards and protecting the environment.

The APEC High level Policy Dialogue on Sustainable Tourism was among the initiatives of Viet Nam to facilitate the active exchange of member countries to boost regional tourism, contributing to creating jobs and promoting investment and development within the bloc.

The event was attended by 150 delegates from APEC members economies, and speakers from international organisations such as World Tourism Organisation, International Air Traffic Association, and International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.-VNA