The 19th General Assembly of the East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Federation (EATOF) officially opened in Cebu, the Philippines, on the morning of September 2 under the theme “New EATOF, Going Global, Connecting Localities”. A delegation from Quang Ninh City led by Standing Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee Vu Van Dien attended the event.
EATOF was established in 2000 in Gangwon, South Korea, based on an initiative proposed in 1999, as an international tourism cooperation organisation among local governments in East Asia. The federation currently has 10 member localities from 10 countries, with the aim of strengthening linkages, sharing experience, promoting destinations, advancing tourism promotion and fostering sustainable tourism development.
Quang Ninh joined EATOF as an observer in 2004 and officially became a member in 2006. Quang Ninh has hosted the EATOF General Assembly twice, in 2010 and 2022.
At the 17th General Assembly in 2022, members agreed to upgrade EATOF from a forum to a federation, towards an increasingly substantive and effective cooperation mechanism.
The 19th EATOF General Assembly is taking place in Cebu, the Philippines, from September 2 to 4, 2026, with major activities including thematic seminars, bilateral meetings, the Standing Committee Meeting, the Governors’ Meeting, tourism promotion activities and a field survey programme.
By Le Nam
