BANGKOK, Jan 26 – ASEAN has announced joint tourism promotional campaigns to also emphasise sustainability. Nearly 100 million tourists visited the region last year.
Following the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2015, Thailand’s Tourism & Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said that as the ASEAN Community would take effect late this year, ASEAN worked out a 10-year tourism plan to be implemented from 2016 to 2025.
The plan will promote inclusive tourism, with all parties receiving good care.
Incomes will be distributed and sustainable tourism will be guaranteed, according to the ASEAN plan
Myanmar, forum host, has recently opened to tourists and wants knowhow on environmental conservation and ecotourism, Ms Kobkarn said.
The minister also said that ASEAN member states welcomed 97 million tourists last year.
The number grows by 3 per cent annually, and 53 per cent of tourists are ASEAN citizens.
She said that Thailand is attracting quality intra-ASEAN tourists and would use online media to reach young travelers.
Suwat Sidthilaw, permanent secretary for tourism and sports, said a secretariat will be established in Indonesia to coordinate ASEAN tourism promotion and its establishment should be sealed in the next meeting this April.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) reported that ASEAN teenagers liked to visit communities and share local activities rather than going to luxury destinations.
