The photo session at the International Conference on Tourism and Sports

In attendance were UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Vietnamese Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien, Da Nang People’s Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho along with more than 200 delegates from relevant Vietnamese agencies involved in the tourism and sports sectors, plus other foreign guests.

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that the link between sports and tourism builds bridges between the world’s people, but it brings nations closer to peace and prosperity.  The Prime Minister added that tourism contributes around 10% of global economic growth, but  Viet Nam and nations wish to push that figure into double digits

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Chairman Huynh Duc Tho remarked “ABG5 provides Da Nang with a golden opportunity to exploit the city’s great potential for the tourism and sports sectors in order to attract more domestic and foreign visitors.  Meanwhile, this conference gives my city a chance to gain experience from participating countries in promoting links between tourism and sports”.

Chairman Huynh Duc Tho delivering speech at the event

The conference discussed the ways in which tourism and sports interact and contribute to sustainable development; different experiences in developing sport tourism products; and the promotion of sport tourism products in the recent past including golf tourism, adventure, mountain climbing and ocean tourism.

It adopted the ‘Da Nang Statement on Tourism and Sports for Sustainable Development’, which is an official document of the UNWTO to draw the attention of governments and business communities in the participating countries to ensure the sustainable development of such industries for the benefit of the community.

Cong Tam