Top tourism forum set for Phuket

PHUKET: The 18-nation Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) is to hold a tourism business forum at the Laguna Beach Resort from May 22 to 24. The Ministry of Tourism and Sport, the Industry Council of Thailand and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will host the gathering. Two representatives from government and business in each country will discuss a number of issues including easier access across borders, common approaches to international crime and methods of supporting small and medium enterprises in tourism. The program includes a yacht excursion, a field trip to the health and spa facilities at the Banyan Tree Phuket Resort and a visit to Bangkok Phuket Hospital. Asia, home to more than half the world’s population, is seen as having tremendous tourism potential. The countries in ACD are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Qatar and Thailand.