The meeting focused on reviewing reports of ASEAN Tourism Cooperation Committees including: ASEAN Tourism Competitiveness Committee, ASEAN Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism Development Committee, ASEAN Tourism Professional Monitoring Committee, and ASEAN Tourism Resourcing and Monitoring and Evaluation Committee. The meeting also updated the latest results of the implementation of the ASEAN Tourism Strategy Plan 2016-2025.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu said that, amid the COVID-19, digitalisation and innovation have shown their important role in tourism development than ever. Viet Nam was the lead country to draft the ASEAN Declaration on Digital Tourism, which was adopted by ASEAN Leaders at the thirty-seventh ASEAN Summit.

He hoped that ASEAN as a whole will implement the Declaration and continue promoting digital tourism and each member state also has action plan to enhance the use of technology and innovation in tourism development.

Viet Nam is also the lead country of project Developing Festival Tourism Products. Viet Nam has drafted 14 Festival tours featuring 8 ASEAN countries and circulated to all member states last November. At present, Viet Nam is collecting comments and inputs from member states on the tour packages and looking forward to Cambodia and Philippines providing requested information, so the final package can comprise all ten countries.

At the meeting, the delegates also reviewed the contents for the 24th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers; 20th Meeting of ASEAN, China, Japan and Republic of Korea Tourism Ministers and 8th Meeting of ASEAN-India Tourism Ministers.

Tourism Information Technology Center