St. Petersburg to host Sixty-ninth session of the World Tourism Organization Executive Council

The World Tourism Organization is holding its sixty-ninth session of the Executive Council in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation from 3 to 4 October 2002. The Council session will be followed by a seminar on "Future Challenges for Cultural Tourism" on the 5th of October.

Amongst other important issues to be addressed in this session, Council Members will be updated on the developments of the International Year of Ecotourism, such as the successful commencement of the campaign Sustainable Tourism - Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP), launched at the recent World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg.

Executive Council Members will also get acquainted with the most recent development in the transformation of the WTO from a related to a UN specialized agency. On 24th July 2002, the Economic and Social Council of United Nations (ECOSOC) adopted a resolution by consensus, which enables further negotiations in the process of conversion, in accordance with Articles 57 and 63 of the UN Charter.

Following its Executive Council session, WTO is holding a seminar on "Future Challenges for Cultural Tourism". Opening the seminar will be the Secretary-General of WTO, Mr. Francesco Frangialli, the Russian Federation's Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Mr. Vladimir Strzhalkoskiy, and Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg, Mr. Alexandre Prokhorenko.

Speakers of this seminar will discuss issues such as the use of new technologies to present cultural heritage sites to visitors, the management and marketing of mass tourism visitations at world heritage sites, and future challenges for cultural tourism in Russia.