Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia will fly to South Korea next month to attend the 18th East Asia Tourism Forum (EATOF) in Gangwon, South Korea, where she will share Cebu’s success stories in tourism and agriculture.
This will be her first official overseas trip since she assumed office for her fifth term in 2019.
The governor accepted the invitation of EATOF Secretary General Jun Tae Hyeon, who visited the Capitol on Wednesday, August 30.
Gov. Garcia, who was once the chairperson of EATOF in 2011, will deliver a speech before the delegates from 12 member provinces in East Asia. She will also have the opportunity to engage in bilateral talks with other governors on areas of cooperation and development.
The forum, which will run from September 21 to 23, is part of Gangwon’s month-long Forestry Exhibition 2023 with the theme of “Seeking the Future of the World and Mankind in the Forest”. The forum will discuss various issues and challenges facing the tourism sector in the region amid the changing environment and market trends.
EATOF is an organization of local governments in East Asia that aims to jointly develop the tourism industry in the region. It was founded in 2000 in Gangwon by nine provinces, including Cebu. It has since expanded to 12 members with the addition of Quảng Ninh Province of Vietnam in 2005, and Luang Prabang of Laos and Siem Reap of Cambodia in 2009.
In September 2011, Cebu hosted the forum at the Cebu International Convention Center, which was attended by 11 governors from EATOF member provinces.