The second Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Northeast Asia Tourism Forum (NEATF) opened in the Hunchun Border Economic Cooperation Zone, Hunchun city, Jilin province, on Sept 8. Zhang Anshun, secretary of the Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture Party committee, gave a warm welcome to delegates and friends attending the forum.

The second GTI Northeast Asia Tourism Forum takes place in Hunchun, Jilin province.

Zhan said tourism is a sunrise industry that acts as a bridge connecting different civilizations, cultures and friends.

Jilin province, as an important tourism hub, has natural and human resources with distinct characteristics and an advantageous location. It now has one Sino-Russian tourist port, nine China-DPRK tourist ports, and 11 border tourist routes heading for Russia and the DPRK.

Yanbian pays attention to tourism development, which is a pillar industry for the local economy. Tourism exchanges and cooperation in Northeast Asia will make new achievements with the support of the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) secretariat of the GTI and the governments of different countries. Northeast Asia will become an enchanting place for tourists from all over the world in the future, Zhang added.

Zhang also expressed his expectation to develop alongside Northeast Asian countries and his ardent sincerity to invite friends from countries and regions in Northeast Asia to travel, invest and start businesses in Jilin province and Yanbian prefecture. He hoped to build the Northeast Asian region into a popular tourism destination with a booming tourism industry through common efforts.

Wang Weina, vice-director of the secretariat of the GTI, and other officials from the UNDP and the UN World Tourism Organization took part in the forum.