CIFAL Jeju Hosts International Workshop on Cultural Development for Sustainable Island Tourism

UNITAR’s Affiliated International Training Center for Authorities and Leaders in Jeju (CIFAL Jeju) convened a workshop, titled Cultural Development for Sustainable Island Tourism in the Asia-Pacific region, in Jeju from 29 May to 1 June.

The workshop was organized in collaboration with United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC), the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, and the Jeju Tourism Organization. Twenty-five participants, consisting of government officials (central, state and local), NGO workers, and private company representatives participated in this event from 11 different countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The event focused on island tourism in relation with cultural development, a significant topic for many developing countries which are highly dependent on the tourism or have great potential for tourism development.

Countries represented in the workshop included Fiji, Indonesia, Kiribati, Maldives, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.

The event served as a platform to build capacities on cultural tourism and develop strategies to address problems arising from mass development. This workshop was successfully completed, stressing the importance of developing and protecting their unique culture.

Seven resource persons, consisting of researchers, experts in international organizations, and policy developers were invited from all around the world for this workshop; Mr. John Smithies from Cultural Development Network; Mr. Rosa Pera from Open University of Catalonia; Dr. Mushtaq Memon from UN Environment; Mr. Ricardo Favis from UNESCO Bangkok; Mr. Tae-in Park from Yonsei University, Mr. Kyungyon Moon from Chonbuk National University, Mr. Jordi Pascual from UCLG. These resource persons brought their knowledge and expertise on cultural development and tourism policies and provided valuable feedback and comments on case studies presented by the participants.

The lecture and group activities focused on key topics including sustainable tourism and the SDGs; conservation and sustainable development of cultural heritage; climate change and sustainable tourism regarding opportunities and challenges for islands; financing for cultural tourism projects; management strategies for cultural tourism development; maximizing the use of art in city development.

During the workshop, the participants showed their unique cultural performances to boast their unique island culture. This workshop also provided a field visit to various touristic spots where participants could experience the mechanisms of cultural development in Jeju. In particular, the participants were able to visit places such as “Haenyeo (Sea Divers) Museum”, the intangible cultural heritage of Jeju and “Sungsan Sunrise Peak”, the natural heritage of Jeju.