UNWTO's Member States came together for the 35th meeting of its joint Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia to assess the major challenges to tourism development in the region for the years ahead.
UNWTO's Members from Asia and the Pacific met as recovery from the impacts of the pandemic on tourism in the region steadily accelerates. According to UNWTO data:
Asia and the Pacific plays a key role in the state of our sector. It is a top source market, a hub of tourism innovation and home to many of the world’s leading businesses and most exciting destinations
"It is no exaggeration to say that, over the past year, all eyes in global tourism were on Asia and the Pacific," said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. "Asia and the Pacific plays a key role in the state of our sector. It is a top source market, a hub of tourism innovation and home to many of the world's leading businesses and most exciting destinations."
Demonstrating Cambodia's strong political support for UNWTO's mission, Prime Minister Hun Sen met with the Secretary-General to discuss the steady acceleration of tourism in the region after the pandemic, while emphasizing the sector's vital importance for sustainable development of tourism in the country and across the wider region.
UNWTO welcomed a participation to the joint Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia Joint Commission, including 15 Ministers, Deputy Ministers of Tourism and Ambassadors, and with 25 countries represented. The Meeting was held in conjunction with the 55th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific (CAP), the 59th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for South Asia (CSA), the UNWTO Conference on International Code for the Protection of Tourists and the UNWTO Affiliate Members Roundtable.
Member States were provided with an overview of UNWTO's achievements guiding tourism forward, based on its Programme of Work and current priorities including:
Ahead of the Commission meeting, UNWTO held a special conference on its International Code for the Protection of Tourists (ICPT). Here:
Under the theme "Public-private cooperation at the core of tourism sustainable development", discussions focused on the importance of finding mechanisms to reinforce the dialogue between all tourism stakeholders and showcased tangible examples of initiatives and projects implemented by Affiliate Members to foster sustainable practices in the tourism sector.
In line with UNWTO's statutory obligations, Members from East Asia and the Pacific nominated China, Indonesia, Japan and Republic of Korea to represent the region on the UNWTO Executive Council.
The two Commissions for East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia also agreed that:
UNWTO has welcomed Batanes in the Philippines as the latest addition to its International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO).
Led by the Batanes Tourism and Hospitality Monitoring Centre (BTHMC), in collaboration with the province and its local stakeholders, this observatory is committed to supporting the sustainable development of tourism based on evidence and a participatory approach. These commitments are instrumental in building a sustainable and resilient tourism sector that benefits the local people, the Ivatans, as well as visitors, while ensuring environmental and cultural conservation. The observatory joins UNWTO’s growing international network of observatories, all of which are dedicated to creating inclusive and healthy spaces for both visitors and host communities, while promoting the responsible management of tourism.
For a destination like the Batanes Islands, such measurement work is even more relevant as it will help to preserve the uniqueness of the islands and build a responsible sector that benefits the local people and visitors alike
Through a participatory process, the Observatory has gained detailed insights into the key sustainability issues identified by the indigenous Ivatans and will continue to expand its measurement focus towards environmental and social areas in line with the INSTO Framework. This approach will help the Batanes Islands in managing tourism development responsibly and sustainably, by taking a holistic view and developing adequate, innovative strategies.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “For any destination, measurement is important as it provides a better understanding of where a destination stands and where it wants to go. For a destination like the Batanes Islands, such measurement work is even more relevant as it will help to preserve the uniqueness of the islands and build a responsible sector that benefits the local people and visitors alike. We are very pleased to welcome the Batanes Observatory as a new member of the INSTO network.”
The governor of Batanes, Ms. Marilou Cayco noted: "We are honoured to become the first member in the International Network of Observatories in the Philippines. Being part of this network will allow us to better assess the impact of the growing tourism sector in the Batanes Islands and provide us with the relevant evidence to inform future policies and decisions to ensure that tourism is sustainable and resilient".
Batanes is the northernmost province of the Philippines, located around 160km north of the mainland. An archipelago of ten islands, of which the three largest are inhabited, its capital is Basco and the province is home to the indigenous Ivatan people. The islands are also home to some unique plants and endemic animals, and serves as a sanctuary for migratory birds.
The Observatory is managed by a multi-disciplinary team from the Asian Institute of Tourism, the Department of Hotel Restaurant and Institution Management, and the Institute of Civil Engineering from the University of the Philippines Diliman. A technical working group composed of tourism stakeholders in Batanes work closely with the research team in managing the operations of the Observatory. In addition, a partnership with the Batanes State College and the Provincial Government of Batanes has been established for carrying out research activities.
Cambodia, the Maldives and Indonesia have become the newest signatories to UNWTO's International Code for the Protection of Tourists. At the same time, UNWTO's Member States across the Asia and Pacific region have adopted the Phnom Penh Declaration on the Code, promoting its dissemination and implementation across the region as a fundamental tool to ensure clear, transparent and efficient frameworks to protect tourists as consumers to foster confidence in travel.
The International Code for the Protection of Tourists is the first ever legal instrument designed to create internationally recognized standards for the protection of tourists at the international level.
People want to feel safe and protected when they travel and UNWTO has led the way in creating the first legal tool that will help restore trust in travel
Member States of both UNWTO and the United Nations are encouraged to adhere to the Code:
"People want to feel safe and protected when they travel and UNWTO has led the way in creating the first legal tool that will help restore trust in travel," said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. "The number of countries joining this initiative to incorporate it into national legislations keeps growing and we are proud to welcome Cambodia, the Maldives and Indonesia as the newest signatories."
Within the framework of the 35th Joint Meeting of the Regional Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the Commission for South Asia (Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 15-17 June), a conference on the International Code provided a platform for regional tourism leaders to share insights, best practices and lessons learnt on how this legal tool supports tourism recovery and trust after the severe crisis caused by the pandemic. The Conference
The "Phnom Penh Declaration on the International Code for the Protection of Tourists" was adopted by the Member States of the Asia and the Pacific region before the conference and officially launched under the high patronage of the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia. The Declaration:
The Declaration reflects Cambodia's commitment to assist tourists in emergency situations, as shown in February 2020 when rescuing more than 1,000 passengers stranded at sea on the MS Westerdam cruise ship.
2023
University of the Philippines Diliman
Batanes, the Philippines
Batanes is the northernmost province of the Philippines and is an archipelago with three inhabited islands located about 162 km north of the mainland. The capital is Basco and the province is home to the indigenous Ivatan people.
The Observatory is managed by a multi-disciplinary team from the Asian Institute of Tourism, the Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management, and the Institute of Civil Engineering, all from the University of the Philippines Diliman. A technical working group composed of stakeholders in Batanes assists the research team in managing the operations of the Observatory. A partnership has been established with the Batanes State College and the Provincial Government of Batanes in carrying out research activities.
MISSION
To gather and analyze (tourism) relevant and accurate data for sharing, planning and decision making.
For Batanes, not all of the INSTO monitoring key issue areas will be monitored immediately. Rather through workshops with stakeholders, priority issues have been identified for periodic assessment. To assist in the consideration of potential sustainability indicators in Batanes, the research team has adopted the participatory approach to indicators development. Specifically a series of stakeholders engagements employed a workshop approach to identify the key sustainability issues and how to measure their changes across three islands over time. Residence, local administrators, and TWG members from Batan, Sabtang, and Itbayat participated.
Local Satisfaction with tourism
Economic benefits
Solid waste management
Cultural integrity
Governance
Biodiversity
Physical carrying capacity
The Province is the only area in the Philippines where traditional architecture is stone in response to the winds and monsoon weather, rather than the more typical, tropical, impermanent materials such as wood, bamboo, thatch, commonly used in village architecture. One of the most iconic features of the Batanes cultural landscape is the vernacular house with metre-thick stone walls topped by an equally durable cogon roof.
HERITAGE AND TOURISM OFFICE OF BATANES
