The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2009 official opened at My Dinh National Conference Center in Hanoi January 9.
The Forum was opened with a ceremony with various artistic programs performed by artistes showcasing the character of each ASEAN country.
Various discussions will be held, including tourism integration, meetings of leaders of national tourism offices, meetings of tourism ministers, the expo ‘Travex’ and tourism conference.
An agreement was reached among delegates, who concentrated on facilitating travel across borders, opening ASEAN’s tourism service market, improving tourism quality, promoting tourism skills, ensuring security and promoting a common policy by 2015. A need to promote ASEAN destinations to the Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Indian markets was also agreed.
Estimates in 2008 suggest 54 million foreign visitors travelled to ASEAN countries, 40-50 percent where from the ASEAN region. The ATF needs to further promote and stimulate tourism within ASEAN countries.
During these difficult economic times, current solutions are based around short and cheap package tours, and to help visitors save money, tourism chiefs reaffirmed.
On the same day, tourism Ministers from the six Greater Mekong Sub-Region (GSM) finalized details for a joint website www.exloremekong.com. It is hoped the website will help further promote tourism.
This is the first time Vietnam has organised such a big event. It is a good chance for the country to promote its tourism potential and expand tourism cooperation with foreign countries. It is hoped a successful forum will help raise the image of Vietnam in the region and the world.
