On the afternoon of September 3, the 19th EATOF Governors’ Meeting was held in Cebu, the Philippines, with the participation of the leaders of member localities. Standing Vice Chairman of the Quang Ninh City People’s Committee Vu Van Dien along with Quang Ninh delegation attended the meeting.
At the meeting, leaders of the member localities discussed new areas of cooperation to enhance the competitiveness of East Asian tourism, strengthen destination linkages, develop products featuring local identities, promote green tourism, apply technology and expand connectivity among members. The meeting also heard a report on the results of the EATOF Standing Committee meeting held earlier on the morning.
As part of the meeting, representatives of the eight EATOF member localities attending this General Assembly, together with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) as an observer, signed a Joint Declaration. They agreed to promote the development of green destinations, high-value local tourism products, cooperation models involving governments, universities and businesses, and the application of AI in building a smart tourism environment.
Immediately after the signing ceremony, governors and heads of delegations from member localities attended a press conference and exchanged views with media agencies on directions for tourism cooperation and development within EATOF. The Quang Ninh representative shared proposals on strengthening market connectivity, tourist exchanges and the development of linked tourism products between Quang Ninh and destinations in member localities, thereby expanding opportunities for cooperation among tourism businesses of the participating sides.
On the evening of September 3, EATOF Night was held as part of the 19th General Assembly of the East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Federation (EATOF), providing a space for cultural exchanges among member localities through artistic performances and souvenir-gift exchanges. The event introduced the distinctive cultural features of each locality while further strengthening ties among the delegations attending the General Assembly.
A highlight of the programme was the ceremony in which Cebu handed over the EATOF flag to Gangwon, South Korea. Gangwon was selected to host the EATOF Standing Committee Meeting in 2027 and the 20th EATOF General Assembly in 2028.
By Le Nam
