By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Korea, China and Japan will introduce a payment system enabling travelers in the three countries to use public transportation with one card.
Korea's Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Yu In-chon; China's National Tourism Administration Chairman Shao Qiwei; and Japan's Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Tetsuzo Fuyushiba agreed on the system along with other joint marketing and promotion programs at Nurimaru APEC House in Busan, Monday. They called the tripartite agreement the ``Busan Declaration.''
Starting August, Korea and Japan will distribute 1,000 traffic cards to visitors of their nations, with the cards accepted in all three countries.
``They will be able to use the cards for public transportation in the two countries. We'll then conduct a survey and if travelers want to deposit additional money on the card, we'll set up a program allowing them to do so,'' Fuyushiba told reporters.
China will be included in the system from late August.
The ministers also agreed to develop cruise programs linking the three nations and air travel packages connecting major tourist attractions. The nations will have joint promotion and cooperate in research on natural disasters and climate change for the sustainable development of tourism.
They will set up a committee to monitor whether agreements are taken into practice.
In the first meeting held in Hokkaido in 2006, the three nations adopted the Hokkaido Declaration with the aim to increase the number of travelers among the nations to 17 million by 2010 from 2005's 12 million.
In the second gathering in Qingdao last year, they agreed to hold joint promotions to attract tourists along with international events such as the Beijing Olympics.
Next year's meeting will be held in Jubu in Japan.