Concerns over culture and history preservation have run high in the lower Mekong River countries, while governments here determined to jointly tap tourism resources of the region's several world heritage sites.

At a forum held in Bankok last week, representatives of public and private sectors from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam discussed how to create a tourism network to promote the region's most prestigious cultural and historical sites on the UNESCO's World Heritage List.

The ambitious promotion plan covers a span from western Vietnam to northern Myanmar, including sites such as Hue city in Vietnam, Luang Prabang in Laos, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Sukhothai in Thailand and Bagan in Myanmar.

All the sites, either old cities still functioning or relics of ancient towns, are listed by UNESCO as world cultural heritages with some's history dating back almost 1,000 years.

If finally put into operation, the project named "Heritage Necklace in Asia" is expected to draw mass number of tourists to visit all the sites in a roll.

Most of the discussions focused on the development of infrastructure such as transport links, facilities and joint marketing strategies designed to attract tourists, particularly wealthy Westerners, according to local report.

Though the suggested cooperation is just on a tentative stage, many scholars and historians have sounded concerns of potential impacts of mass tourism over these sites.

Linking cultural-heritage tourism and business interests may not work in the long run, said Rujaya Abhakorn, a history lecturer of Thailand's Chiang Mai University, was quoted by newspaper Nation as saying.

"The challenge is how to make people appreciate these treasures without damaging them," Rujaya said.

Participants of Vietnam also reportedly said that a lack of awareness regarding culturally significant sites was among threats to Hue, the country's capital and religious and cultural center between 1802 to 1945.

"Many of the traditional crafts, skills and handicraft villages are disappearing," a Vietnamese representative was quoted as saying.

UNESCO also advocated a comprehensive way to explore tourism resources of the world heritage sites.

Tourism can help local economic development, but has to be managed in a respectful and sustainable way to preserve the sites' original cultural and historical charm, a UNESCO official told Xinhua in a telephone interview on Monday.

"Results of tourism development of the sites are different, some are beneficial while some are detrimental," said Rik Ponne, project coordinator of the Office of UNESCO Regional Advisor for Culture for Asia and the Pacific.

He noted that many of the region's heritage sites in the region have to implement tourism management to achieve harmonious economic development and culture preservation.

Maximum visitor number and negotiation between various sectors are among recommendations to better manage tourism around the sites.

"We understand all the sites in the region are trying their best to preserve culture while developing tourism, but more capability has to be built," said Ponne.

(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2005)