Jakarta (VNA) – DeputyMinister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet has called on other ASEANmember countries to support and cooperate with each other in tourismdevelopment.

Speaking at a press conference on the ASEAN TourismForum (ATF) 2023 in Indonesia on February 5, the official said apart fromtraditional markets that have experienced difficulties, ASEAN should seek new onesand adjust some policies relating to aviation connection and visas.

He also suggested the bloc continue implementingtourism development strategies for 2016-2025 and adjust and update them aftereach meeting of ASEAN tourism ministers.

Viet described culture as the core value of theregional tourism and a unique factor helping the countries attract tourists.

Sharing Viet’s view, Philippine Tourism Secretary ChristinaGarcia Frasco also suggested the ASEAN countries come together to offer unifiedtourism packages.

“We have agreed to increase first connectivitybetween our countries and to concretise that by identifying the internationaland secondary airports that may be utilised for the purpose of expanding directflights, not only towards our key destinations, but also to emergingdestinations,” she told a press conference.

Juliana Kua, Assistant Chief Executive Officer atthe Singapore Tourism Board, said ASEAN should get common understanding and acommon plan towards the sustainable development of the tourism industry.

For his part, Indonesian Minister of Tourism andCreative Economy Sandiaga Uno said the forum sought ways to strengthen theintra-bloc connectivity to facilitate travelling and tourism in the region.

Delegates also exchanged views on measures toincrease flights from India and lure more Chinese tourists after the countryreopened its borders in the spirit of “ASEAN as a single destination”.

The forum sent a message of ASEAN’s recovery,especially in terms of quality, sustainable tourism, as well as its diversityin nature and culture, the minister noted.

The ATF 2023, including the 26th Meetingof ASEAN Tourism Ministers, took place in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from February 2– 5.

At the events, Vietnam introduced its tourismdevelopment, mechanisms and policies, tourism products and services after theCOVID-19 pandemic, and the message of Vietnam tourism through the slogan"Vietnam - Timeless Charm" and the campaign "Live fully inVietnam".

According to data from the ASEAN Secretariat, in 2019,international tourist arrivals in Southeast Asia reached 143.5 million,accounting for 9.6% of global international tourists. The growth rate reached6.1%, 2.1% higher than the world's average.

For Vietnam, ASEAN is one of the most important marketsand partners. In 2019, visitors from ASEAN to Vietnam hit nearly 2.1 million,accounting for about 11.6% of the total number of international arrivals to thenation./.