CIP Minister Icyang Parod delivers a speech at the closing ceremony of the 2024 World Indigenous Tourism Summit April 18 in the southern city of Kaohsiung. (Courtesy of CIP)
 

The 2024 World Indigenous Tourism Summit held its closing ceremony April 18 at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center in the southern Taiwan city, according to the Council of Indigenous Peoples.

The three-day summit, which featured two keynote speeches, four forum topics and six group discussions, attracted over 600 participants from 27 countries and territories. Prominent attendees included CIP Minister Icyang Parod and representatives from Austronesian Forum member countries and the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance.

According to the CIP, the fruitful multilateral dialogue led to the formulation of six cooperative goals for Indigenous tourism.

The first pertains to the rights of Indigenous peoples, stating that governments should take Indigenous people’s opinions into consideration when formulating policies for cultural and ecological preservation, circular economy and responses to climate change.

In return, the second and third goals encourage Indigenous peoples to share their knowledge on ecological conservation, as well as record and preserve their cultures to promote their heritage via tourism.

The fourth states that Indigenous peoples should have the autonomy to give guided tours offering their perspectives, enriching tourism with their own stories and environmental knowledge, and that travel agencies must show respect for these authentic viewpoints.

The fifth outlines expectations for a cooperative model between Indigenous peoples and travel agencies that ensures both sides benefit from tourism.

The final goal directs travel agents to incorporate the protection of natural habitats into their mission and act as intermediaries between residents and visitors.

Following the closing ceremony, participants will visit local tribes April 18-20 to experience the diverse lifestyles of Taiwan’s Indigenous groups and gain insight into how each tribe stimulates tourism, the CIP said. (POC-E)