The 4th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting with the theme "Promoting APEC Tourism Cooperation for Common Prosperity" kicked off  in Vietnam on Tuesday to discuss issues on assuring safety and security for tourists, developing sustainable tourism, and improving tourism infrastructure and products.

In the one-day meeting in the central province of Quang Nam, ministers responsible for tourism from the 21-member of the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) are scheduled to touch upon such issues as facilitating tourists'travel in the region, strengthening tourism information exchange, preserving cultural features for sustainable tourism development, and beefing up cooperation among tourism stakeholders.

They are also to discuss issues on preventing and dealing with risks in the non-smoke industry, and applying satellite account systems.

At plenary sessions, the ministers are expected to adopt the Hoi An Declaration on Strengthening APEC Tourism Cooperation, and mention some APEC members'initiatives on tourism cooperation development.

The meeting chaired by Head of the Vietnam Administration of Tourism Vo Thi Thang is also to discuss measures to accelerate the implementation of the APEC Tourism Charter which targets removing impediments to tourism business and investment, increasing mobility of visitors and demand for tourism goods and services, managing sustainable tourism outcomes and impacts, and enhancing recognition and understanding of tourism as a means of socioeconomic development.

APEC ministers responsible for tourism have met biennially since 2000 to discuss measures on enhancing tourism development in the region.

(Xinhua News Agency October 17, 2006)