KUCHING: The arrival of 230 million international visitors to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Plus Three (China, Japan & Republic of Korea) region is a four per cent increase over 2012.
Minister of Tourism and Culture Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz noted that with the strong potential of intra-regional arrivals, Asean tourism ministers in a joint media statement had agreed to further strengthening joint tourism promotion collaboration in line with the Asean Plus Three Tourism Cooperation Work Plan 2013-2017.
“This Work Plan encompasses quality tourism, skills development, joint tourism marketing and promotion, cruise tourism and tourism crisis communications through the establishment of e-Tourism Working Group,” he said at a press conference after chairing the 17th Meeting of Asean Tourism Ministers and the 13th Meeting of Asean Plus Three (China, Japan & Republic of Korea) Tourism Ministers at the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) 2014 here yesterday.
Themed ‘Asean: Advancing Tourism Together’, this year’s ATF successfully garnered the participation of 462 international buyers and 879 sellers with 353 exhibitors as well as 75 hosted media.
“We are also pleased to announce that next year’s ATF 2015 will be convened in Nay Pyi Daw, Myanmar in January 2015 with the theme ‘Asean Tourism Towards Peace, Prosperity and Partnership’,” revealed Nazri, adding that the
Philippines have confirmed to be the host nation for ATF 2016.