Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Quang Tung attended the 23rd ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meeting in Brunei Darussalam

On 15 January 2020, in the framework of the ASEAN Tourism (ATF) 2020, the 23^rd ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Meeting took place in the Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei Darussalam), presided by Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism of the host country Dato Ali Apong. Viet Nam delegation was headed by Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Quang Tung. 

To open the Meeting, ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Aladdin D. Rillo informed the tourism-related results and contents at recent regional events such as the 35^th ASEAN Summit, ASEAN-Korea Summit and a number of ASEAN Ministers' meetings on related fields ... In which, the Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN emphasized that Viet Nam is actively preparing for ASEAN President Year 2020, and on this occasion, Deputy Minister Le Quang Tung - Head of Viet Nam delegation introduced at the Meeting the logo and slogan of ASEAN 2020, affirmed that Viet Nam would like to continue promoting the solidarity and unity in the region, strengthening the ASEAN role in the international arena in the coming time.

In the next items of the meeting agenda, Head of Viet Nam delegation and other ministers / heads of delegations of ASEAN countries exchanged many important issues related to ASEAN tourism cooperation, such as: reviewing the reports of the meetings of ASEAN National Tourism Organizations, reviewing the results, the developments of regional tourism in recent years, exchanging solutions to continue developing ASEAN as an attractive single destination for tourists, realizing commitments and goals of sustainable and inclusive tourism development, as well as continuing to enhance cooperation and exchange with partner countries, regional and international organizations, etc.

Specifically, in terms of tourist exchange, the Ministers were pleased to see that the number of international tourists coming to ASEAN in 2019 reached 133.1 million visitors, an increase of 7% over the same period last year and domestic tourists accounts for 36.7% of total visitors. In which, in the past year, with impressive results, Viet Nam ranked no. 2 in the region in terms of tourist growth (16.2%), ranked No. 3 in the region in terms of the total number of international tourist arrivals (18 million).

Regarding solutions in the coming time to continue developing ASEAN as an attractive single destination, Head of Viet Nam delegation and the Ministers reviewed the results of the implementation of the ASEAN Tourism Promotion Strategy for 2017-2020, asking National Tourism Organizations to study and draft, propose a new ASEAN Tourism Promotion Strategy for the 2021-2025 period in line with the ASEAN Tourism Development Strategy for the 2016-2025 period, including major orientations such as further strengthening the promotion and advertising, diversification of tourism products, attracting tourism investment, improving the capacity and qualifications of human resources, and strengthening connectivity and development of tourism infrastructure, creating favorable travel conditions. The Ministers supported and called for the participation of the private sector in the advertising, promotion and introduction of regional tourism, and welcomed the initiative on digital tourism to be implemented in the near future, in which Viet Nam will preside over the drafting of the ASEAN Digital Tourism Declaration, which is expected to be reviewed and approved at the 37^thASEAN Summit held in Viet Nam at the end of 2020.

Ministers highly appreciated Brunei Darussalam - the host country of ATF 2020 for successfully organizing the launching ceremony of the new ASEAN Tourism website on January 14, 2020 in the capital city Bandar Seri Begawan, with the participation of the Crown Prince of Brunei, reviewing the results of the implementation of the ASEAN Tourism Professionals (MRA-TP) Agreement on the period of 2019-2023, highly appreciating the results of some investment promotion activities of ASEAN tourism organized in Japan and China in 2019 with the cooperation of ASEAN-Japan Center and ASEAN-China Center. Ministers welcomed the initiative of the 2019 ASEAN Sports Ministers Meeting to make sport tourism a focus in the ASEAN Work Plan for Sports for the 2021-2025 period, calling for regional countries to pay attention to develop cruise tourism, culinary tourism, ecotourism clusters and tourism development corridors in the region in the near future.

For inclusive and sustainable tourism development, the Head of Viet Nam delegation and Ministers noted progress in areas such as increasing local community participation, public-private partnership, enhancing the access to tourism for all, increase the participation of the tourism industry in the protection and promotion of cultural and natural heritage values ​​in the region ...

Additionally, at the Meeting, the Head of Viet Nam delegation and Ministers discussed many other important issues related to strengthening cooperation with international organizations such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), ASEAN-China Center (ACC), ASEAN-Japan Center (AJC), ASEAN-Korea Center (AKC), Asia-Pacific Travel Association (PATA), ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA), ASEAN Tourism Research Association (ATRA), as well as cooperation with other regional mechanisms such as GMS, Mekong-Lancang...

The 24^th ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meeting will be held within the framework of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2021, taking place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in January 2021.