SINGAPORE – To reinforce its position as gateway to the region, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has started a series of information sharing events to generate interest in tourism investment opportunities in Asia.

With China’s new entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) and as it prepares to host the 2008 Summer Olympics, China was picked as the first country to be featured.

The Board will highlight opportunities in other destinations in future forums, including Cambodia, Vietnam and Yogyakarta.

STB’s director of regional tourism, Mr Edmund Tham, said: “As a government agency, we will not get directly involved in business dealings. Our role is as a facilitator, to provide a bridge for poten-tial investors.

“What we are hoping for is to groom strong regional tourism players as this will make Singapore’s position as a gateway and hub to the region much stronger. By promoting Singapore and the neighbouring countries as a collective package, we will be able to enhance Singapore’s attractiveness to tie in to the region’s attractions, thereby enriching the overall experience of the visitors.”

The STB also organises site inspections for the trade and helps in arranging meetings with local authorities and potential partners.

The China forum had a panel made up of representatives from the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), the Beijing Tourism Administration and the Beijing Tourism Group.

CNTA’s director general of the planning & finance department, Mr Wei Xiaoan, said it was a good time to invest now as China’s WTO entry had spurred aggressive innovation and creativity in the country’s tourism industry and the Chinese government had committed RMB1.3 billion (US$0.15 billion) to develop the industry.