The 3rd World Tourism Conference titled “ Tourism Success Stories and Shooting Stars ” was held at Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 4th – 6th June 2007. The Conference was organised by UNWTO and supported by the Government of Malaysia which has benefited tourism policy makers, practitioners and academicians as it has explored and discussed the success of tourism and the will of all to share and cooperate for the future of tourism. This Conference took place from 4th to 6th June 2007, and has constituted one of the main events of “Visit Malaysia Year 2007” which coincides with the country’s 50th Anniversary of Independence.

25 renowned speakers addressed issues ranging from sustainable development to destination tourism marketing; and from partnerships to product development. 500 participants representing tourism ministries, tourism boards, private sector and academia from 50 countries had congregated in Kuala Lumpur for the world's premier tourism networking event.

This conference aimed to uncover the secrets of tourism’s leaders, learning from those destinations and organizations which have been conspicuously successful in tourism planning, development and marketing.

The UNWTO believes that sharing the experience of successful destinations and organizations will help increase total world tourism to the advantage of all, and will also help spread the benefits of tourism to less developed countries, thereby making an important contribution to one of the organisation’s principal goals – poverty alleviation.

Each of the sessions was followed by a panel discussion in which the ideas presented were analysed and practical recommendations for action by other destinations will be developed. This Conference has brought together a wide range of reputed world leaders in tourism, high-level policy makers, specialists and experts from both the public and private sectors, to exchange experiences, put forward valuable ideas and provide guidance for future tourism development. It was of particular interest to National, Regional and Local Tourism Organisations as well as Non-Governmental Organisations and key tourism players in their field of expertise.

The conference has provided an exciting and engaging forum for discussion and learning of success stories, current issues, solutions and best practice case studies. There was excellent networking opportunities engaged in vibrant atmosphere. Get to know the Speakers and "who's who" in the world's tourism fraternity.

The Conference was presented with a program relevant to any established tourism player who wished to network, share and learn from the leaders of tourism in this decade and a world platform for leaders to establish cooperation and friendship.

The following topics were discussed at the conference:

Session 1	Propelling Sustainable Growth Through Tourism. Sustainable Growth: sharing the expertise of leaders in advocating sustainability in tourism, environmental protection, rural tourism, community involvement and poverty reduction through tourism
Session 2	Succeeding in Global Tourism (Lessons in Marketing). Marketing: learning from the leaders in destination positioning, e-marketing and the evaluation of marketing efficacy, exploring the successful branding of countries and of commercial companies; and analyzing how to protect the brand when crisis strikes.
Session 3	Success in Product Development and Diversification. Product Development: featured leaders in resort development, special interest product, quality improvement and regeneration through tourism
Session 4	Successful Partnership – Strategies for Collaboration.

Partnerships: successful recipes for collaborating with other destinations and working with the industry, plus an exploration of how commercial companies (for example budget airlines) can work productively with local and national Governments

Delegates from Nepal represented:

Hon’able Prithvi Subba Gurung – Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation.

Mr. Sharada Prsad Trital -- Joint Secretary – Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation.

Mr. Rabi Jung Pandey – National Programme Manager -- TRPAP / UNDP, Kathmandu.

Mr. Ramesh Kimar K.C. – Section Officer – Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation.

Mr. Bijaya Pradhan – Executive Chairman – Dream Nepal Travels & Tours Pvt. Ltd., Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal.