Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation held a seminar on sustainable tourism for Hong Kong on Friday.

Speakers in the seminar generally believed that commitment and involvement of the government and different sectors, the setting up of benchmark and assessment for the tourist industry will do good to its sustainable development.

Statistics given by the Hong Kong Tourism Board shows that 22 million people came to Hong Kong last year, with almost 25 percent of them from the Chinese mainland.

Speakers shared the view that most visitors are coming today to buy electrical goods and food and culture experiences. The major export of Hong Kong today is the Hong Kong experience and people are prepared to pay good money for this.

Ian Kean, executive director of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation International Center for Sustainable Tourism, said a real commitment from government and industry is the most important ingredient to manage tourism more sustainably.

When talking about sustainable tourism management model for Hong Kong, Kean said benchmarking Hong Kong in terms of sustainability would be a good start for the development of a model for sustainable tourism.

In this way, it is possible to identify which of today's management systems are working well, which need to be improved, and what new systems and programs need to be introduced to achieve the levels of sustainability that are desired.

According to the dean of School of Travel Industry Management of University of Hawaii at Manoa, Professor Walter Jamieson, impact assessment of tourism development on heritage resources and communities must be carried out.

Also, more concerns should be put upon the welfare of natural environment as unique features could help attract visitors to a destination.

In recognizing the opportunities for promoting cultural tourism, Kean noted that there is a desire to involve local communities in the development of cultural products and services and to improve the quality of their lives.

As Hong Kong promotes itself as unique "East meets West" culture with a rich inventory of both modern and traditional architectures and artistic performances, Jamieson suggested that the government should actively conserve heritage resources and ensure that quality conservation work is carried out.

Tourism strategies and plans, including factors such as tourism-related infrastructure, facilities and services, visitor attractions, and impact appraisals, must be linked with a broader set of initiatives and community or economic development plans, suggested Jamieson.

He believed that cooperation among all stakeholders including local government officials, local business and tourism operators is essential.

(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2005)