LAHORE, April 10: The Commission for South Asia of the World Tourism Organization will hold its 45th conference at a hotel here on Monday (today). The conference will review the regional tourism trends during 2004 and discuss the Phuket action plan adopted by the commission executive council in the wake of tsunami calamity.

Senior officials of tourism departments from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka will participate in the conference along with World Tourism Organization deputy secretary-general Dr David De Vellier and Asia and Pacific region representative Xu Jing.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Tourism Department will establish cultural villages in big cities and develop rest areas along the highways for the promotion of tourism.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held here with provincial Tourism Minister Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal in the chair.

The minister said that visitors would be served traditional foods of different areas in rural atmosphere in the cultural villages.

He said the development of the rest areas had already been started along the highways and the motorway. The rest areas had restaurants along with recreational facilities like swings and slides for the children.

The minister said that the historical buildings in the province were also being rehabilitated and a documentary was also being prepared about the historic and cultural heritage of the province. It would be shown on cable networks for attracting tourists to the province.