A Report on the World Tourism Organization International Conference on Metropolitan Tourism: Busan, Republic of Korea, 11-12 September 2007

As part of UNWTO’s pan-Asian research programme, the conference in Busan was convened following its first conference on Metropolitan Tourism in Shanghai last year. The Conference was jointly organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in collaboration with Busan Development Institute, the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute and Ministry of Culture and Tourism on 11-12 September in Busan, Republic of Korea, with more than 250 experts from 10 countries. The conference addressed issues on developing a unique product and destination brand in urban tourism including marine, MICE, and event tourism. The issue of the social impacts of tourism, particularly improving urban conditions, was also examined by national and international experts while focusing on the host city and several other Asian cities as examples.