BANGKOK: The 27th edition of the Asean Tourism Forum kicked off on Thursday (Jan 25) in Vientiane, Laos, with discussions aiming to elevate cooperation and promote tourism in the Asean region.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol told the media that she had held discussions with Gloria Guevara, the CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), on the directions for enhancing collaboration in tourism between Asean, Thailand, and relevant agencies including the Department of Tourism, the Office of the Area Development for Sustainable Tourism (OPD), and the Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA).
WTTC emphasised the importance of quality over quantity, noting that this should be assessed based on the income generated by tourists in the South-East Asian region and Thailand. The discussions also touched on sustainable tourism, stressing the need for hotels and other accommodation to meet sustainable tourism standards recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
Thailand sees sustainable tourism as beneficial for the Asean member countries, and each country should focus on sustainable tourism to benefit the region as a whole.
Discussions were also held with Brian Maclaren, vice president of the US-Asean Business Council (USABC), and representatives from the Thai government and the private sector in Southeast Asia. The talks covered collaboration between the public and private sectors in Thailand and Southeast Asia, supporting employment in the tourism sector, and opportunities to drive tourism s in secondary cities.
In this context, Sudawan mentioned that Thailand is exploring the concept of "soft power" to promote tourism strengths through regional identities by connecting secondary city tourism to distribute income from tourists to local communities.
Furthermore, Thailand is advocating for visa exemptions to extend the duration of tourist stays.
Sudawan also met with the Minister of Tourism of Cambodia to explore ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries. Both countries expressed support for the "driving/road trip tourism" project, involving Laos, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
Cambodia proposed that Thailand consider incorporating the "Connective Tourism to 5 Countries" into the Asean Tourism Strategic Plan after 2025.
In the past, Thailand and Cambodia have had tourism relations at both the regional level, through the Tourism Working Group under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on tourism cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia, and at the sub-regional level, such as in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS). Cambodia is supportive of tourism cooperation with Thailand at all levels.
The exchange of views also covered the promotion of the "one destination" concept, with both parties expressing mutual interest in promoting cross-border travel, particularly overland travel, by enhancing cross-border travel convenience.
Cambodia suggested initiating negotiations at the sub-regional level first, taking various measures into consideration.
Today (Jan 26) during the Asean Tourism Ministers' Meeting,Thailand is scheduled to host a meeting with the tourism ministers of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam to discuss the details of promoting connected tourism through the “driving/road trip” tourism project in the future. - The Nation/ANN
