The Meetings industry, one of the fundamental segments of the tourism sector, is widely recognized for its benefits to the broader economy as it generates on average a higher spending level, reduces tourism seasonality, while expanding knowledge and enhancing innovation and creativity.
In the light of increased globalization and the sustained expansion of the tourism sector, the importance of the Meetings industry is growing and it is seen as one of the key areas for destinations looking to diversify their tourism offer. Asia and the Pacific is currently one of the fastest developing regions in the world in this segment - Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Singapore are all among the top destinations in terms of number of international association congresses held.
Against this backdrop, the 8th UNWTO Executive Training Program on Tourism Policy and Strategy is gathering policy makers from Asia and the Pacific to address the current status and future development of the Meetings industry in the region, covering topics such as capacity building and destination marketing.
Comprised of three days of workshops and a one-day technical tour, the Training aims at strengthening the participants’ capacity to develop policies and strategies, for this segment while providing an important platform for knowledge exchange and regional cooperation between National Tourism Administrations in the Asia-Pacific region.
Supported by the government of the Republic of Korea, the 8th annual Training Programme is attended by 23 representatives from 20 UNWTO member states in the Asia-Pacific region, the highest number of participants to date.
