Representatives from Argentina, Cuba, Brazil, Ecuador and Venezuela began a two-day meeting to work out a unified criterion to boost tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean on Thursday.

"We seek to have the Amazon rainforest (formed by Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil) declared one of the seven nature wonders of the world," Venezuelan Tourism Minister Pedro Morejon said during a press conference at the state-owned Humboldt Hotel in the National Park El Avila.

Morejon urged the countries of the region to unite for the goal of achieving tourism prosperity and noted Venezuela's intention to enforce tourist exchanges with Brazil before the 2014 soccer World Cup as a good example.

Meanwhile, Brazilian Tourism Minister Luiz Barreto said that Venezuela and Brazil have strengthened cooperation over airlines, tourism operators and travel agencies.

Ecuadorian Tourism Minister Veronica Sion also mentioned the tourism integration of the Andean nations.

(Xinhua News Agency June 8, 2009)