On 7 November 2017, ASEAN-Korea Tourism Development Workshop on Sustainable Tourism for Cultural Heritage Destinations was successfully organized by ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) in Seoul. H.E. Kim Young-sun, Secretary General of AKC and H.E. Long Dimanche, Ambassador of Royal Embassy of Cambodia to Korea, were invited to attend the workshop and deliver remarks. Over 100 participants from UNESCO, Korea Tourism Department, ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC), ASEAN Secretariat, local cultural heritage preservation organizations, Korean tourism industries and media attended the event. Mr. Chen Kesong, Tourism Officer of Education, Culture and Tourism Division of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) attended the workshop on behalf of ACC.

H.E. Kim Young-sun said in his remarks that 2017 is designated as the ASEAN-ROK Cultural Exchange Year. The ASEAN-Korea Tourism Development Workshop on Sustainable Tourism for Cultural Heritage Destinations aims to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and the ASEAN-ROK Cultural Exchange Year, identify key issues and address the challenges in promoting cultural heritage sites as tourism destinations, realize education by traveling, and to promote cultural heritage to achieve sustainable development in tourism industry.

Ambassador Long Dimanche said that both ASEAN and Korea have rich cultural heritage of nature and history, and unique conditions to integrate these cultural heritages with tourism. It is meaningful to hold this workshop, which would further promote ASEAN and Korea to deepen cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism and other fields. In the keynote speech session, several experts from UNESCO, World Bank, Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Malaysia, Culture Heritage Administration of Korea, Korea National Academy and ASEAN Cultural and Heritage Tourism Sub-Working Group presented keynote speeches encompassing “Sustainable Approach to ASEAN Cultural Heritage Tourism”, “World Heritage Inscription and Development of Heritage Sites” and “Heritage Interpretation and Tourism” etc. and exchanged views with participants.

ACC representative actively interacted with the participants from AKC, AJC and other organizations during the workshop. He briefed on the achievements and experience of China in developing cultural tourism products, and the tourism-related work of ACC. Meanwhile, he exchanged views with all parties on promoting tourism and cultural cooperation with ASEAN.