The Philippines will host two major events of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), namely:  1) Workshop on Developing Tourism Statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), and 2) Sixth International Forum on Tourism for Parliamentarians and Local Authorities.  These important events, organized by the UNWTO and the Philippines' Department of Tourism (DOT), in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) will be held on 21-24 October 2008 in Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa, Cebu City, Philippines.

Officials from the Government of the Philippines and the UNWTO led by DOT Secretary  Joseph Durano, UNWTO Secretary General  Francesco Frangialli,  and UNWTO Chief of the Department of Statistics and Tourism Satellite Account Mr. Antonio Massieu will formally open the twin events. 

Experts from the UNWTO will discuss the following topics:1) International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008, 2) measuring employment in the tourism industries, 3) tourism as an internationally traded service, 4) capacity building program for enhancing tourism statistics and TSA in Asia, 5) tourism statistics at sub national levels. Dr. Romulo A. Virola, Secretary General of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) will share with the workshop participants the Philippine experience on the development of tourism satellite accounts. The Philippine Tourism Satellite Accounts was developed under the guidance of the Interagency Committee on Tourism Statistics composed of representatives from:  NSCB, DOT, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Board of Airline Representative, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Local Government Services, Civil Aeronautics Board, Hotel and Restaurant Association  of the Philippines, Philippine Tour Operators Association, Philippine Travel Agencies Association, National Economic and Development Authority, National Statistics Office, Statistical Research and Training Center, and University of the Philippines-Asian Institute of Tourism.

An international forum on tourism for parliamentarians and local authorities will follow the TSA Workshop.  The forum will cover sessions on: 1) major challenges of tourism development, 2) communication and ethics in tourism, 3) economic knowledge of tourism at the local level and measurement of employment in the tourism sector, 4) the different actors in the promotion and development of tourism.

Detailed information about the twin events can be found at http://www.unwto.org/index.php