Bangkok Post, Thailand, Travel Column.

Byline: Imtiaz Muqbil

Dec. 10--The promotion of Buddhist tourism in Asia has been given a major lift with the conclusion of a major seminar designed to bring together the regional countries which share this common heritage.

But the seminar also heard warnings about the commercialisation of religion and cultural commoditisation.

Delegates from Thailand, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam and Laos met in Kisarazu, Japan, from Nov 26 to 28 to discuss ways to promote their Buddhist sites both to religious pilgrims as well as regular visitors.

Organised by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the seminar was part of a project to promote regional co-operation in sustainable tourism development. The project budget of US$142,500 is funded entirely by the Japanese government.

Escap's tourism unit chief, Ryuji Yamakawa, outlined the formidable challenges involved in promoting Buddhist tourism.

"The diverse and shared history, cultural, religious and artistic heritage of the Asian region is attracting tourists from all over the world and has great potential for further expansion. This development presents many challenges and risks that need careful management," he said.