Chiang Mai governor Wichai Srikwan is confident the two-day East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (Eatof) will improve the local tourism industry due to the many new proposals and cooperation of all parties concerned.

The governor will preside over the grand opening of the Eatof 2007 conference today at the Holiday Inn. Some 80 representatives have been invited from nine different countries.
“The proposals at the meeting are committed to support increased travel between countries in East Asia,” Wichai said. The conference will include a “travel mart” to establish markets in East Asia; an “academic forum” to present travel research, and a “standing committee” to help co-ordinate travel between governments, which is supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

The director of the TAT’s Northern Department Region 1, Junapong Saranak, said the province would also organise a local trip for all delegates tomorrow, with the aim of encouraging foreigners and the East Asian press to see some of sights of Chiang Mai.

Eatof 2007 is a non-government group made up of East Asian cities that are not capitals. Each member country has a turn to host the annual event.

Members include Gangwon-do (Korea), Jilin (China), Tottori (Japan), Sarawak (Malaysia), Yogyakarta (Indonesia), Cebu (The Philippines), Primorsky (Russia), Tuv (Mongolia) and Quang Ninh (Vietnam).

Source: The Nation