3rd World Ecotourism Conference held in Cambodia

[XINHUA]

PREAH SIHANOUK, Cambodia, Oct. 3 -- Cambodia on Monday hosted the 3rd World Ecotourism Conference, aimed at developing Asia Pacific region as a leading ecotourism destination.

The three-day conference, under the theme "Charting the Future of Ecotourism in Asia: Asia will dominate global tourism in future, " attracts some 300 governmental officials, tourism ministers, deputy ministers, ecotourism specialists, businessmen, representatives from national and international ecotourism associations and communities from 23 countries, mostly in Asia Pacific region.

"The conference will be a good opportunity to establish and boost relationship and cooperation on the development of ecotourism in the region in a sustainable and responsible manner," said Cambodian Minister of Tourism Thong Khon at the opening ceremony.

"Also, it's time to exchange the best experience and practice related to the ecotourism development in order to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of natural and environmental conservation."

"In the future, we want to make the Asia Pacific become a leading attraction for the development and investment in ecotourism," he added.

The minister said that at the end of the conference, there would be "Sihanoukville Declaration on Multilateral Cooperation for Ecotourism Development."

The declaration would be submitted to the United Nations World Tourism Organization for the final approval.

"The declaration would be a roadmap for the ecotourism development in a sustainable and responsible manner in the whole Asia, particularly in Cambodia," he said.

During the conference, there was also ecotourism exhibition with the participation of ecotourism communities and private investors in ecotourism with 23 booths.

Preah Sihanouk is a coastal province in southwestern Cambodia. It's the country's third most popular tourism destination after Siem Reap's Angkor Wat temples and Phnom Penh.