The successful MOFCOM-WAIPA Roundtable Conference on Capacity Building of IPAs and Cooperation between IPAs and the UNCTAD-WAIPA Workshop on Promoting FDI in the Tourism Sector held during the 10^th China International Fair on Investment & Trade (CIFIT), Xiamen, China

WAIPA and the Ministry of Commerce of People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) jointly sponsored a Roundtable Conference for International Investment Promotion Agencies, on 9 September 2006, during the 10^th China International Fair on Investment & Trade (CIFIT), which was held from 8 to 11 September 2006, in Xiamen, China. Mr. Chen Jian, Assistant Minister of Commerce of China attended the round table and delivered a welcome speech. More than 60 participants coming from 46 countries, among them IPAs representatives from Canada, Spain, Italy, Egypt and China, discussed Capacity Building of IPAs and Cooperation between IPAs during the roundtable and most of them participated in the UNCTAD-WAIPA regional workshop on Attracting FDI into the Tourism Sector, on 10-12 September 2006. The Ministry of Commerce of China, MOFCOM hosted the workshop and sponsored participants from developing countries (DC). UNCTAD and WAIPA sponsored participants from least developed countries (LDCs). The overall objective of the workshop was to enhance the understanding by Asian investment promotion and tourism agencies and/or authorities of the nature, design and development of investment promotion strategies for attracting FDI into the tourism sector. The participants benefited from a very interactive discussion among practitioners and professionals in tourism.