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The 19th UNWTO General Assembly Ends Successfully in Gyeongju2011-10-20

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The General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a specialized agency of the United Nations and the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of tourism, was held on 8-14 October in Gyeongju, a thousand-year-old ancient capital of the Silla dynasty. Korea co-organized the 14th General Assembly with Japan (Osaka) in back in 2001, but this one is meaningful, because it was held in a local city but not in Seoul. Gyeongju, a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, has hosted many international conferences including the G20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors and the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific.

 

Attendees of the gathering included UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai, UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General Jeffrey Sachs, and officers of international organizations such as World Trade Organization and International Labor Organization. Their discussions mainly focused on environmental tourism and roles of the tourism industry in helping the world achieve the eight international development goals, known as the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), through sports, culture, and tourism.

 

Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongju organized various programs to bring many more eyes to the cultural assets, arts and tourist resources of Gyeongsangbuk-do, including the “Gyeongbuk Tourism Promotion Exhibition,” 10 Tour Programs and etc. “It is expected that this General Assembly will transform Gyeongju into one of the most competitive and ‘sustainable’ tourist attractions in the world,” said Governor KIM Kwan Yong.