BEPPU, Oita Pref. -- Some 460 students interested in travel and the tourism industry from around the world gathered this month in this hot-spring resort town in southeastern Kyushu to discuss the sector's untapped potential.
The 2005 World Students' Tourism Summit, held Nov. 8 to 13 and jointly sponsored by Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Oita Prefecture and the city of Beppu, drew 461 students from 78 universities in 21 countries, including Japan.
On the last day, the students issued a declaration calling on governments, educational institutions and communities to work together to minimize the fallout on tourism from terrorism, natural disasters and other woes, and forge international relations, deepen intercultural understanding and protect the environment.