Jeju Island, Korea –The ASEAN-Korea Centre (Secretary General Lee Hyuk) and the UNITAR CIFAL Jeju jointly hold the ASEAN-Korea Tourism Development Workshop, under the theme ‘Sustainable Tourism for Natural Heritage Destinations’ from 3 to 5 October at the Jeju International Convention Center, Jeju Island, Korea.  International tourism experts will give lectures on the sustainable tourism development to tourism professionals from both the public and private sectors in 10 ASEAN countries.  Furthermore, participants will present the natural heritage developments in each country, develop action plans for the sustainable development of the heritages, and conduct a technical visit to the UNESCO natural heritage sites on the Island. 

Lee Hyuk, Secretary General of the ASEAN-Korea Centre noted, “Blessed with a tremendous wealth of unique and diverse natural assets, ASEAN has made continuous efforts to develop and conserve its natural wonders in a sustainable way.  Under the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, ASEAN countries have listed their natural assets as UNESCO World Natural Heritages for effective management and conservation.  The ASEAN Declaration on Heritage Parks, as another example, currently recognizes 38 ASEAN Heritages Parks in the 10 ASEAN Member States.  This endeavor has boosted regional efforts to manage the natural heritage sites with high ecological values.  Against this backdrop, the Workshop aims to allow ASEAN tourism professionals to share knowledge and good practices on the sustainable development of each natural heritages.” 

On 3 October, Secretary General Lee Hyuk and UNITAR CIFAL Director Ma Young-sam are scheduled to deliver remarks at the Opening Ceremony.  In the subsequent session, tourism experts from international organizations will give lectures on the following themes: ‘Sustainable Development on Natural Heritages in ASEAN’, ‘Sustainable Tourism Frameworks and Management of Natural Heritage Areas’, ‘Integration of Natural and Cultural Heritage in Sustainable Tourism: Jeju Island’, ‘Impact of Tourism on Conservation and Promotion of Natural Heritage’, and ‘Community Involvement in Natural Heritage Tourism.’  Sustainable tourism practices of ASEAN such as the ASEAN Heritage Park as well as the policies, cases, and major challenges regarding the management and development of natural heritages in each country will be also introduced. 

On 4 October, participants will be offered an opportunity to attend the Leaders’ Dialogue I of the World Leader’s Conservation Forum (WLCF) 2018, hosted by Ministry of Environment of Korea, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).  The session will feature a panel discussion on the ‘Sustainability: Turning Words into Actions through Cooperation’ among renowned figures including Korean Minister of Environment Kim Eunkyung and IUCN Director General Inger Andersen. 

On 5 October, ASEAN tourism professionals will conduct a technical visit to natural heritage sites on the Island, such as Seongsan Ilchulbong, a volcanic cone formed by hydrovolcanic eruptions under the ocean that has exceptional exposures of its structural and sedimentological characteristics and Geomunoreum Lava Tube, a lava tube cave that includes a spectacular array of secondary carbonate speleothems.