Tourism ministers of the Group of 20 major advanced and developing economies pledged Saturday to encourage travelers to visit diverse destinations in an effort to tackle so-called overtourism.

In a declaration adopted at their meeting in Hokkaido, northernmost Japan, the G-20 ministers said they will encourage travelers to "visit diverse destinations to revitalize local economies and improve sustainability of the tourism destination."

The meeting focused on responses to overtourism, a situation in which travelers flock to particular destinations, causing problems to local communities such as congestion, as well as on the contribution of tourism to community building.

"The geographic distribution of tourism promotes job creation and entrepreneurship, supporting employment in rural areas and regional development," said the declaration, designed to advance tourism's contribution to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.

Also, the declaration stated that the member countries will share "best practices in crisis management and crisis communication" during and in the aftermath of disasters, and make "full use of the digital transformation" to improve tourism.

The meeting, held in the town of Kutchan near the famous Niseko ski resort, was the first official meeting of G-20 tourism ministers. Representatives from 31 economies, including invited countries, and international organizations participated in the meeting.

"Managing tourism for the benefit of both visitors and local residents is needed all over the world," Japanese Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Kazuyoshi Akaba, who chaired the meeting, told a press conference. "We had meaningful discussions and made a new step toward the advancement of global tourism policies."

Akaba plans to hold bilateral talks with South Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo on Sunday. They are expected to discuss human exchanges between the two countries at a time when strained bilateral relations have sharply pushed down the number of South Korean tourists visiting Japan.

JIJI PRESS