The International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) hosted its latest Asia Workshop in Siem Reap, Cambodia, with representatives from 10 nations contributing to key discussions on the effective monitoring and management of tourism destinations.
As tourist numbers continue to
rise across the Asia and the Pacific region, Member States of UNWTO are taking
the initiative in using data to ensure such growth is properly and responsibly
managed. Among those represented at this latest Asia Workshop were
Observatories based in Australia, China and Indonesia. Joining them were
stakeholders from the public and private sectors and from academia.
UNWTO and the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia, in collaboration with the
Monitoring Centre for UNWTO Sustainable Tourism Observatories (MCSTO), jointly
organized this INSTO Asia Workshop to further advance dialogue among both
established and potential observatories across Asia-Pacific region. The talks
also helped strengthen knowledge about the regular monitoring of tourism at the
local level.
Representatives from China shared their experiences of how observatories there
were established, as well as on how they are managed and perform their
monitoring role with the measurement of key issues (local satisfaction with
tourism, economic benefits, employment, tourism seasonality, energy and water
management, sewage management, solid waste management, governance). Alongside
this, representatives from Indonesia discussed how observatories can act as an
instrument for implementing tourism policies related to sustainable tourism
development, while one of UNWTO’s latest INSTO members, the Australia’s South
West Tourism Observatory presented their experience of establishing a new
observatory.
Senior tourism officials from Bangladesh, Malaysia, Maldives and Nepal were
also in attendance and signalled their commitment to joining UNWTO INSTO in the
future. Japan and the Republic of Korea also demonstrated strong interest in
establishing observatories. This was welcomed by Dr. Dirk Glaesser, Director of
Sustainable Development of Tourism, and by Mr. Harry Hwang, Deputy Director of
Regional Department for Asia and the Pacific.