Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism urges to boost ASEAN tourism

Bridge Pagoda, a Japanese style pagoda built in Hội An in the past, today draws tourists from elsewhere in Asia, and ASEAN tourists in particular. — VNA/VNS Photo Đoàn Hữu Trung

VIENTIANE —  The Director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), Nguyễn Trùng Khánh, put forth some measures to boost regional tourism cooperation while addressing the 59th Meeting of the ASEAN National Tourism Organisations in Vientiane, Laos, on Tuesday.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) needs to pay more attention to joint activities in the three partner countries, namely China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, and take advantage of the strengths of partners and dialogues to promote ASEAN tourism, he said, elaborating that after the COVID-19 pandemic, tourists tend to travel shorter distances.

It is essential for the bloc to develop tourism standards in the coming years, taking into account emerging regional trends such as golf tourism, the head of the Vietnamese delegation said, adding that this is an attractive product and also a strength of ASEAN member countries.

He held that more efforts should be paid to developing and diversifying tourism products, with the participation of the member countries, in which ASEAN can jointly organise a regional festival.

Khánh told the meeting that Việt Nam welcomed about 12.6 million foreign tourists last year, including about 2.1 million visitors from the ASEAN countries. He also expressed optimism about the bright prospects in 2024, saying that the tourism markets of all ASEAN countries will fully recover.

Entitled “Quality and responsible tourism – Sustaining ASEAN future”, the meeting focused on discussing and updating the implementation of the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025, and decisions relating to tourism at the 42nd and 43rd ASEAN Summits.

The reports of the ASEAN Tourism Committee and other issues relating to partners and dialogues as well as preparation of agenda and joint statement of the 27th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers and Related Meetings were also touched upon. — VNS