More than 400 representatives from about 30 countries and regions will attend the conference. The representatives include national leaders and former political dignitaries, tourism ministers, and international organizations such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the World Tourism Organization, the World Travel and Tourism Council, as well as tourism experts and industry representatives.

Statistics from the World Tourism Organization Secretariat show international tourist arrivals amounted to 693 million in 2001, or 400 million less than in 2000 owing to the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Arrivals to America and the Middle East declined 5.9 percent and 3.1 percent respectively. Meanwhile, arrivals to Africa and East Asia and the Pacific somewhat rose in 2001 from 2000.

Thanks to the development of the Asian economies and improvements in Asian living standards, Asian countries boast huge potential for their tourism industries.

China received more than 89 million international tourists last year, 6.7 percent more than in the previous year. China's tourism earned 17.8 billion US dollars, ranking fifth in the world.

(china.org.cn November 18, 2002)