JAKARTA, April 23  -- Leaders of Asian and African countries here on Thursday underlined the importance of tourism to economic growth.

In the 41-item Bandung Message, which was adopted at the conclusion of the two-day Asian-African Summit, leaders agreed to encourage counties of the two regions to strengthen cooperation in sustainable tourism development.

They also vow to empower community-based tourism through technical assistance and sharing of knowledge.

The leaders welcomed the convening of the Asian-African Business Summit held here on April 21, saying it helps strengthening closer economic ties between the private sectors of Asia and Africa.

"We call for the strengthening of engagement of the private sectors in advancing cross-regional trade and investment," said the Message.

The leaders also pledged to enhance cooperation in the fields of trade, logistics, investment and transportation.

The leaders of some 30 countries from the two continents and representatives from around 100 nations attended the Asian-African Conference events, running until April 24.