MOCST’s Deputy Minister Ho An Phong and VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh at the meeting (Photo: TITC)

The ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) and ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) briefed the Meeting on their activities to support the ASEAN+3 tourism cooperation. The support of the three partner countries for ASEAN tourism is mainly in the form of technical assistance through training courses on tourism promotion (website development, tour guide training, technical seminars on markets, participation in promotional events), product development and exchange programs, training courses in ASEAN and partner countries.

Speaking at the meeting, MOCST’s Deputy Minister Ho An Phong affirmed, China, Japan and South Korea have long been important source markets of the ASEAN region.

In 2024, China, Japan and South Korea were among the top 5 markets sending visitors to Viet Nam with about 9 million arrivals, accounting for 51% of Viet Nam's total international visitors. Of which, South Korea was the leading market with nearly 4.6 million arrivals, China recovered strongly with an increase of 114% compared to the previous year, Japan continued its stable growth, exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

MOCST’s Deputy Minister Ho An Phong speaking at the meeting (Photo: TITC)

“Over the years, cooperation activities between ASEAN and the three partner countries have achieved many positive results. Close attention and guidance from the tourism ministries of China, Japan and South Korea have promoted sustainable and innovative development in the industry. In particular, the coordination and support role of the three ASEAN Centres is noteworthy. The ASEAN Centres have implemented many practical initiatives, covering many areas such as sustainable tourism development, product diversification, promotion, smart tourism and human resource training, actively contributing to enhancing tourism and cultural exchange”, noted MOCST’s Deputy Minister Ho An Phong.

Regarding the ASEAN Plus Three Tourism Cooperation Work Plan, MOCST’s Deputy Minister Ho An Phong stressed the necessity to ensure that activities are implemented in accordance with the new context and common regional priorities, maximizing the potential for cooperation with the three partner countries. MOCST’s Deputy Minister Ho An Phong suggested that the parties need to promote the effectiveness of promoting ASEAN+3 tourism, especially through organizing large-scale joint promotion activities that attract the participation of all member countries.

ASEAN Centres continue to promote cooperation activities on digital transformation and technology application in tourism development; enhance training and capacity building for the tourism community with new topics such as digital technology and artificial intelligence application, travel, seamless tourism... to meet the demands and catch up with trends of the industry. Develop ASEAN destination connectivity initiatives and design products specifically for the Chinese, Japanese and South Korean tourists to enhance the region's appeal as a common destination.

Chair of meeting (Photo: TITC)

At the meeting the ASEAN Secretary reported on the 27th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit, the 27th ASEAN - China Summit, the 27th ASEAN - Japan Summit and the 25th ASEAN - ROK Summit held on 10th October 2024 in Laos.

The meeting commended the steady progress of implementation of the tourism industry over the past year with encouraging results when recording about 70% of activities in the ASEAN+3 Tourism Cooperation Plan (APT) 2021-2025. The meeting agreed that ASEAN+3 countries need to strengthen cooperation with relevant partners to develop a stronger and more resilient tourism industry in the region. The meeting also emphasized the importance of developing the ASEAN+3 Tourism Cooperation Plan for the period 2026 - 2030, ensuring consistency with the key priorities in the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) for the period 2026 - 2030.

Overview of the meeting (Photo: TITC)

The meeting recognised and appreciated China, Japan, and South Korea in improving the quality of human resources in the tourism industry through capacity building workshops and human resource training courses, equip them with the latest skills and knowledge. The meeting encouraged ASEAN+3 countries to continue sharing information and successful examples to promote sustainable tourism development, ensuring shared growth and prosperity.

Tourism Information Technology Center