Hanoi (VNA) – This year’sASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) will take place in the northeastern coastal provinceof Quang Ninh from January 14-18, with the participation of about 2,000delegates, according to organisers.

First held in 1981, the ATF has been the biggest tourism event in SoutheastAsia. It is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association ofSoutheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as one tourist destination. The hosting of theannual event is rotated among the ASEAN member countries.

This is the second time Vietnam has hosted the ATF, following the first in 2009under the theme of “ASEAN Tourism – Striving for a New Height”.

Many important initiatives, proposals and memorandums of understanding havebeen adopted at the forum, aiming to enhance tourism cooperation andconnectivity between regional countries.

Delegates have also set forth a range of solutions to help ease adverse impactof the global financial crisis on the tourism sector.

Through the forum, Vietnam has asserted its commitments to partnering withother ASEAN members in building ASEAN into an attractive destination, towardssustainable tourism development.

Over the past years, the country has emerged as a dynamic and outstandingtourist attraction with special cultural and historical values, amazinglandscapes, and friendly and hospitable people.

In the “Tourism Highlights 2018” of the United Nations World TourismOrgnisation (UNWTO), Vietnam ranked third in the top ten countries with the highestincreases in international tourist arrivals. It was the only Asianrepresentative named among the top ten global adventure destinations by readersof global travel website TripAdvisor last year.

Themed “ASEAN – The Power of One,” the 2019 ATF aims to materialise cooperationorientations set by the ten-member group, towards “One Vision, One Identity,One Community”.

Representatives of ASEAN travel agencies, the UNWTO and international travel organisations,associations, businesses and media agencies are expected to joint the annualforum.

Meetings of ASEAN tourism ministers, and betweenASEAN tourism ministers and partner countries are scheduled for January 17-18.

The forum will focus on such issues as human resources development,competitiveness improvement in tourism, sustainable and inclusive tourismdevelopment, tourism security and safety, and climate change and tourism.

Of note, ATF also provides a platform for the trade of regional and individualtourism products of ASEAN member countries, through the 3-day TRAVEX eventwhich features 346 booths.
 
The sellers come from ASEAN member countries while the buyers hail from 32countries and territories from Asia, Europe, America, the Middle East andAfrica.-VNA