International Conference Critical Tourism Studies Asia Pasific (CTS-AP) has been opened. The conference is a collaboration between Architecture and Planning doctoral programme at Universitas Gadjah Mada and Association of Critical Tourism Studies which is based in London, UK.
The conference was attended by 61 participants from 23 countries and last from 3-6 March 2018, and was opened by Deputy Head of Overseas Tourism Development agency, Prof. Dr. I Gde Pitana, M.Si., on Saturday (3/3) in Balairung UGM.
Pitana supports and appreciates the holding of CTS-AP, saying that the conference could be a promotion media to make Indonesia popular in the world. He saw the big impacts of the conference, which include media values gains.
“The conference participants from around the world would report the event through their articles and photographs, mentioning interesting things about Indonesia. This will be a great form of promotion for us,” he said.
Furthermore, Pitana hoped through the conference information exchange on tourism would later take place and produce practical recommendation to advance Indonesia’s tourism.
Meanwhile, Founder of CTS, Dr. Mark Hampton from University of Kent, expressed his hopes for dissemination of practical information by tourism thinkers that can be utilised by the participating countries.
“Conference participants may learn from each other and share tourism issues in the world as preventive measures whilst opening new opportunities for tourism in their own country,” said Hampton.