GEORGE TOWN, February 12 – The 27th ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Meeting (27th M-ATM) recently concluded in Vientiane, Laos, led by Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Dato Sri Tiong King Sing. The conference, themed “Quality and Responsible Tourism – Sustaining ASEAN Future,” underscored the importance of collaboration among ASEAN nations for the sustainable recovery of the tourism sector. Minister Tiong, in discussions with regional counterparts, emphasized the promotion of self-drive tourism routes in Southeast Asia, including Malaysian locales, aiming to provide tourists with unique experiences encompassing natural landscapes, urban landmarks, historical contexts, and cultural customs.
Addressing the gradual recovery of tourist numbers in ASEAN, Minister Tiong highlighted the region’s efforts to position itself as a premier tourist destination. Encouraging statistics from the World Tourism Barometer indicated a positive trend, with international tourist numbers reaching 87% of pre-pandemic levels from January to September 2023. Expressing optimism about the return of international tourism to pre-pandemic levels in 2024, Minister Tiong urged ASEAN countries to harness the region’s potential as a global tourism hub. Additionally, Malaysia, as the rotating chair of ASEAN in 2025, unveiled plans to host the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Johor Bahru, emphasizing unity and cooperation, and to host the World Tourism Day and the World Tourism Conference in 2025 in Malacca, showcasing Malaysia’s cultural heritage and hospitality to the world.
