The seventh meeting of the tourism working group of South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) formed strategies to jointly promote tourism in the sub-region.
A press release issued by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) said senior government officials, representatives from private sector and donor community from Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Bhutan participated in the meeting held from November 2-3.

The meeting discussed on overall tourism programs of SASEC, technical assistance on human resources development and promoting Buddhist circuit and eco-tourism, the statement added.

The meeting also stressed the importance of joint marketing of regional products and all the member countries expressed commitment to work towards a regional tourism product and to have a common vision of regional product, which should be ready by 2015.

At the concluding session of the meeting, all the member countries also confirmed their continued support to SASEC for continuing SASEC Tourism Development Plan activities in their own countries.

Coinciding with the SASEC tourism working group meeting, Nepal Tourism Board in association with Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and The Netherlands Development Organization (SNV-Nepal) organized a second meeting of South Asia Sustainable Tourism Forum (SASTF) on November 3.

“The objective of the meeting was to share the sustainable tourism development practices and initiatives adopted by the SASEC member countries in the sub-region which further helps to strengthen the joint efforts in developing and promoting the sub-region as sustainable eco-tourism destination in thrust with SASEC Tourism Development Plan,” the NTB statement added.