(TITC) - ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2022 under the theme “A Community of Peace and Shared Future” will be held in Sihanoukville, Cambodia from 16th to 20th of January 2022. It is the biggest event in the framework of ASEAN Tourism cooperation. A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet will attend this event.
At the meeting with Deputy Minister Doan Van Viet on 4th January on the preparation for ATF 2022, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism indicated, in 2019, international tourists to ASEAN region reached about 143.5 million arrivals, accounting for 9.6% of total international tourists worldwide; the growth rate reached 6.1%, higher than that of the world (4%). Total receipts from international tourism reached 171.1 billion USD. The source markets of ASEAN region are mainly from Northeast Asia and within the region, in which the Vietnamese outbound tourist market ranks top 15 markets with about 4.1 million tourist trips.
ASEAN is one of the most important partners of Vietnam tourism. In 2019, tourists from ASEAN to Vietnam reached nearly 2.1 million arrivals, accounting for 11.6% of the total international tourist arrivals to Vietnam. The largest source markets of Vietnam in ASEAN in 2019 include: Malaysia (606.206 arrivals, accounting for 3.4% of total arrivals), Thailand (509.802 arrivals, 2.8%), Singapore (308.969 arrivals, 1.7%), Cambodia (227.910 arrivals, 1.3%).
ASEAN is one of the most effective multilateral cooperation frameworks with Vietnam tourism. Vietnam has signed bilateral tourism cooperation agreements with all ASEAN member countries. Many specific and short-term programmes have been signed and effectively implemented; in addition to a number of long-term cooperation programmes such as cooperation in tourism promotion with Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, cooperation in building cruise products with Singapore and the Philippines, river tourism products with Cambodia and Laos…
Vietnam has hosted a number of major tourism meetings and events in ASEAN, typically the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2019 in Ha Long, the NTOs Meeting (in July 2017 in Vinh Phuc), Tourism Cooperation Committee meetings (in April 2016 in Ha Long and October 2021 via online platform).
Vietnam was also Chairman of the ASEAN Tourism Promotion Committee, Chairman of the ASEAN Tourism Resource Assessment, Monitoring and Resources Committee, Vice Chairman of the ASEAN Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism Development Committee, Vice Chairman of the ASEAN Tourism Professional Monitoring Committee (2020-2021); a focal point for developing river tourism products; committing a vital role to the implementation of the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Agreement on Tourism Professionals (MRA-TP). Recently, Vietnam Tourism is hosting the project ‘Building and implementing the ASEAN Strategy on the participation of local communities and the private sector in tourism development’ and the new product development project ‘ASEAN traditional festival touring programme’.
ATF 2022 involves a series of massive events, namely meetings of ASEAN Tourism Ministerial Meeting and partner countries (China, Korea, Japan, India, Russia), partner organisations (UNWTO, WTTC, PATA, ASEANTA, ATRA, ASEAN-CHINA, ASEAN-JAPAN and ASEAN-KOREA centres…); meetings of ASEAN NTOs and partner countries (China, Korea, Japan, India, Russia); International Travel Expo TRAVEX; ASEAN Tourism Award Ceremony; ASEAN Tourism Ministerial Press Conference along with several side activities organised by the host country…
It is expected that Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet will have an online meeting with Mr. Michael W. Michalak, Vice President and Regional Executive Director, US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) and a bilateral meeting with Minister of Tourism of the Philippines Bernadette Romulo-Puyat…
Tourism Information Technology Center