KUALA LUMPUR: Asean and India have underscored their focus towards promoting sustainable tourism.
In a joint statement, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the Asean-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, guided by the fundamental principles, shared values and norms that have steered Asean-India Dialogue Relations since its establishment in 1992.
This includes those enunciated in the Vision Statement of the Asean-India Commemorative Summit (2012); the Delhi Declaration of the Asean-India Commemorative Summit to mark the 25th Anniversary of Asean-India Dialogue Relations (2018); the Asean-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific for Peace, Stability, and Prosperity in the Region (2021) and the Joint Statement on Asean-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2022).
Recognising the vital contribution of the tourism sector to economic growth, including its role in job creation, infrastructure development, and fostering cross-cultural understanding in the region, the leaders acknowledged the need for continuous improvement in service quality, safety, and visitor satisfaction to maintain Asean’s attractiveness as a premier tourism destination.
“(We will utilise) the existing collaborations mechanism of the Asean and India Tourism Working Group and Tourism Ministers' Meeting to promote sustainable tourism in the region,” they said in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 28).
The partners said tourism is an effective way to enhance people-to-people contacts between Asean and India and welcomed the growing bilateral tourism and connectivity between Asean and India.
Asean and India will also advance sustainable tourism, guided by the principles of the green, blue, and circular economy, and focusing on planet-friendly and nature-positive practices that address the needs of local communities while ensuring a high-quality tourist experience.
This includes conserving cultural heritage, enhancing resource efficiency, protecting biodiversity, and sharing best practices for inclusive and resilient tourism development in line with Asean's tourism standards.
Both parties will prioritise environmental sustainability by embracing the “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” model and adopting sustainable, pro-community practices such as optimal use of land and water resources, decarbonisation, and biodiversity-friendly tourism management.
Efforts include reducing air, water, and land pollution through responsible consumption, renewable energy adoption, waste management, and enforcement of environmental standards.
Collaboration with the Asean Centre for Energy and India’s TERI will be encouraged to promote renewable energy solutions in tourism sites, especially around pollution-sensitive heritage monuments.
Asean and India said they would encourage ecotourism that balances the needs of visitors and residents, maximises tourism’s contribution to local prosperity, and fosters tourism-related investments in low-carbon and resource-efficient infrastructure.
Digital technologies and data-driven tourism management will also be leveraged to improve visitor experiences and enhance sustainability.
Both sides will conserve historical and cultural heritage, promote World Heritage nominations, and involve local communities in heritage-based tourism such as fashion, handicraft, and gastronomy.
Capacity building and certification programmes will strengthen local competitiveness, while existing Asean-India collaborations, including networks on museums, monuments, crafts, textiles, and gastronomy, will be oriented toward sustainable tourism.
