Kathmandu, November 2:

South Asian experts who are here for a two-day long seventh working group meeting of South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) on tourism have underscored the need to develop South Asia as a common tourism market for sustainable economic gr-owth, to create employment opportunities, reduce poverty and boost the private sector.

Pradeep Gyanwali, minister for tourism and civil aviation, while addressing the SAARC level tourism experts and concerned institutions said that for socio-economic advancement of the region, there is a need to adopt a common approach by all countries in the region in the field

of tourism.

Gyanwali said that as economically challenged people are found in large numbers in South Asia, tourism potential of the region must be exploited for the larger good of people with effective regional coordination. Kunio Senga, DG of South Asia Department of Asian Development Bank, commented that tourism has been one of the most dynamic sectors in the SASEC region.