Confidence booster: Secretary General Long Yongtu says high-level participants from a broad range of organisations will ensure the event's success.

Speaking at the opening of the Boao Forum for Asia, its Secretary General Long Yongtu expressed his confidence that the conference would have positive impacts on the Asian tourism industry.

While countries and regions worked together to decisively beat SARS, tourism still faces serious challenges, he noted.

The objective of the conference, he said, "is to help recover people's confidence in tourism and strengthen the cooperation in Asia as well as in the world."

He highlighted the event's three key features.

"First, the participants are of very high level. This is a conference where senior officials including ministers for tourism will carry out policy dialogues and coordination. It will help promote inter-governmental cooperation and facilitate the establishment of a cooperation mechanism on tourism at times of crisis with an aim of eliminating administrative obstacles affecting tourism developments. This is an important prerequisite for regaining people's confidence in tourism," Mr Long said.

Second, participants are of broad representation.They include members of :

* the World Tourism Organization, the co-organiser of the event;

* the World Travel & Tourism Council;

* Pacific Asia Travel Association;

* International Air Transport Association;

* European Travel Commission; and

* All Nippon Travel Agents.

"Practical results could only take place with broad international collaboration," Mr Long said.

"The third feature is the pragmatic attitude of the participants. This conference is a grand gathering of leaders, entrepreneurs, experts and scholars of the tourism sector. Entrepreneurs of travel agents, hotel groups, airlines, tourism destinations, catering and entertainment sectors will have dialogues with senior representatives from governments and international organisations on specific issues. This will have substantial impacts on the revitalisation of the Asian tourism sector."

Mr Long concluded that he believed "this Conference will have positive impacts on the revitalisation of Asian tourism and the promotion of economic cooperation between Asia and other places of the world."