At the event. (Photo: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism)Jakarta (VNA) – VietnameseDeputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet has affirmed thatthere remained large room for boosting tourism cooperation between theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India.
Speaking at the 10th ASEAN-India Tourism MinistersMeeting held on February 4 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, within the framework ofthe 2023 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2023), he said that India is an importantsource market for the ASEAN tourism industry with its large population, growingmiddle class and high tourism demand.
The number of Indian tourists to Vietnam grew byan annual average of 27% in the 2015-2019 period, the official said.
Last year, after the country reopened its doors toforeign visitors, Indian tourists to Vietnam recovered 81% compared to 2019,making India one of the strongest recovery markets.
The deputy minister attributed the impressiveresults to the close cooperation between the tourism and aviation industries inan effort to strengthen connectivity and create favourable travel conditionsfor tourists.
Since 2019, Vietnamese airlines have opened manynew routes connecting four cities of Vietnam with six major cities of India. InDecember last year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism organised theVietnam Culture Day in India to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary ofdiplomatic ties between the two countries, helping to popularise the country'simages, people, culture, and tourism in India.
The official pledged that Vietnam will work withother ASEAN member countries to restore the growth of visitor exchanges andfurther increase experiences for Indian tourists.
At the meeting, ASEAN and India adopted theTourism Work Plan for 2023-2027.
The plan includes 17 activities aiming to supportthe implementation of the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) for the 2016-2025period, the ASEAN Tourism Marketing Strategy (ATMS) for the 2021-2025 period,the ASEAN Post-COVID-19 Tourism Recovery Plan, the ASEAN Sustainable TourismDevelopment Framework and the Phnom Penh Declaration on Transforming ASEANTourism.
The meeting reviewed the results of cooperation inthe past time, especially the lifting of the ASEAN-India strategic partnershipto a comprehensive strategic partnership, in which tourism is defined as one ofthe important cooperative fields.
The event underlined the need to continue tosupport micro, small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (MSMEs) and promoteequal opportunities to improve employment for local communities under the PhnomPenh Declaration on Transforming ASEAN Tourism which was approved at the ASEANSummit in November 2022.
Participants emphasised their support foractivities in the ASEAN-India Tourism Promotion Programme, with the aim ofraising awareness of ASEAN destinations in the Indian market. They includeexpanding the scope of several ASEAN strategic priority areas for 2023 withinthe framework of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), such as circular economyand decarbonisation, culture and eco-tourism, approaching the new logo andslogan of ASEAN tourism “Destination for all dreams”./.
