The 18th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers and the 14th Meeting of ASEAN Plus Three Tourism Ministers (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea), respectively on the 25th and 26th January, in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, were held in conjunction with the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2015 (ATF). A wide variety of tourism subjects relevant to ASEAN were discussed and decided upon. A few of the highlights thereof, of interest to the tourism industry and wider community, are presented hereafter.
Firstly, the Ministers were pleased with the provisional figures of international tourists visiting ASEAN Member States amounting to 97.2 million, a growth of 3% from 2013. Likewise, intra-ASEAN travel, the main growth engine of tourism in the region, recorded over 50% share of total international tourists visiting ASEAN, which to quite an extent could be ascribed to the operationalization of the ASEAN Open Skies Agreement.
In terms of product development and marketing, the Ministers’ meetings, a/o promoted the continued enhancement of the websites of ASEAN (www.aseantourism.travel), Sina Weibo (www.dongnanya.travel) and ASEAN Member States’ NTOs; the Travel Channel for Pacific Asia Travel Association’s Love Campaign, and “ASEAN for ASEAN” activities during 2015-2016. Moreover, they praised progress re nature- and river-based tourism, the ASEAN Ecotourism Strategic Plan, Heritage Tourism products and Senior Long Stay Tourism; as well as the importance of developing a framework to exchange ideas on tourism statistics for ASEAN Plus Three (ATP) countries.