By Lee Hyo-sik
GYEONGJU — South Korea will help developing countries make the best use of their tourism assets and improve related infrastructure to help them create jobs and generate new sources of income, the top tourism official here said Monday.
At a press conference held in this ancient city on the sidelines of the 19th Session of the UN World Tourism Organization (WTO) General Assembly, Choe Kwang-shik, minister of culture, sports and tourism, said Korea has and will lend support to poor nations to help them fight poverty through generating larger tourism revenue.
The biannual international gathering of tourism officials from all over the world began last Saturday and will last through Friday under the theme of “Fostering Growth and the Achievement of the MDGs through Tourism, Culture and Sports.” It drew over 800 participants, including 42 tourism ministers, from 100 countries.
MDGs stand for Millennium Development Goals, which were initiated by the United Nations in 2000 to reduce poverty and improve the standards of living for people in the underdeveloped world.
“We will provide financial, technical know-how and other assistance to developing nations, particularly those in Africa, to help them promote their tourism sector as a tool to create jobs and generate income. This year, we are expected to attract a record-high 10 million foreign tourists. This shows we know how to develop and promote the tourism industry,” Choe said.
The minister noted that Korea was once one of the poorest nations in the world and had to rebuild itself from the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War. “Over the past six decades, we have emerged as one of the world’s major economies. By joining the OECD Development Assistance Committee, Korea has become the first country to transform itself from an aid recipient to a donor.”
Choe said the Korean government has been making significant contributions to eliminating poverty through sustainable tourism by sponsoring and undertaking a range of UN-initiated plans, such as UN Millennium Village projects in Tanzania and Uganda.
“Korea will continue to work closely with UNWTO and our counterparts around the world to help developing countries advance their tourism sector. Tourism has become an essential part of our green and sustainable growth strategy and we know how to proceed with it,” the minister said.
He added the nation was eager to share its know-how with its partners across the globe.