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James Kon Based on preliminary figures of 2022, ASEAN saw about 1,700 per cent year-on-year increase in tourism receipts. ASEAN also recorded almost 1,300 per cent year-on-year increase in international arrivals with the relaxation of ASEAN member states’ travel restrictions. Hotel rate occupancy also increased by 16 per cent compared to that in 2021. The massive growth in the ASEAN’s tourism industry was highlighted during the 26th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers (26th M-ATM) and the related meetings with Plus Three (22nd M-ATM Plus Three), India (10th Meeting of ASEAN-India) and Russia (2nd Meeting of ASEAN-Russia Tourism Ministers) in conjunction with the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2023 (ATF 2023) held on February 4 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin led a delegation to the meeting chaired by Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism with Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno and Laos’ Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Suanesavanh Vignaket as the Vice-Chairperson. Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) Hajah Tutiaty binti Haji Abdul Wahab and officials from the Tourism Development Department of the MPRT were also present. The 26th M-ATM was preceded by the 57th Meeting of the ASEAN National Tourism Organisations and other Senior Official Meetings with Dialogue Partners. ![](https://media.everythingbrunei.com/public/_wyTGQBGsh6IXwDNdhjFS-fAM0PeQ2Y_5waFwxgCUpj.jpeg) Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin with other ministers and officials. PHOTO: MPRT At the ASEAN Tourism Standards Awards ceremony on February 5, Brunei’s Trueliving Spa & Studio and Reflections Eco Holistic received the 2nd ASEAN Spa Services Awards. Meanwhile, the 2nd ASEAN Public Toilet Award was awarded to Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex (for Premium and Premier), Malay Technology Museum, Kaizen Sushi Restaurant and Seria Energy Lab. Brunei Darussalam participated in the ASEAN Tourism Forum Travel Exchange (TRAVEX) from February 3-5. TRAVEX is a business-to-business trade show that is part of the Annual Tourism Forum for selling and buying regional and individual tourism products of ASEAN members states. TRAVEX aims to provide business matching opportunities for suppliers of tourism products and services and foster business relationships. Brunei Darussalam was represented by the Tourism Development Department, Royal Brunei Airlines and The\ Empire Brunei. According to MPRT, with the theme ‘ASEAN: A Journey to Wonderful Destinations’, the meeting commended the further relaxation and removal of travel restrictions within ASEAN members states. The meeting noted that 60 per cent of measures and activities under the Post-COVID-19 Recovery Plan for ASEAN Tourism have been completed or are being implemented through the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) Work Plan. The meeting highlighted the initiative to promote new and less explored destinations within the region to promote and enhance the visibility of ASEAN destinations. The meeting also noted the positive results from the marketing activities through the extensive use of the new brand and tagline ‘A Destination for Every Dream’, and emphasised the need to enhance collaboration with relevant partners to amplify ongoing efforts. The meeting noted the completion of two studies that have been supported by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), namely the Comprehensive Study on the Implementation of the MRA-TP: Enhanced Mechanism for Tourism Professionals and encouraged to review the recommendations raised in the study. A study to develop a Framework on Sustainable Tourism Development in ASEAN in the Post COVID-19 Era to guide the tourism sector to a more sustainable tourism pathway was also completed. The meeting encouraged to reinforce regional efforts in restoring and building confidence for travel resumption, as well as to promote a more sustainable and inclusive ASEAN tourism. The meeting also urged to fast-track region-wide tourism digital skills training in collaboration with the established ASEAN programme as well as the private sector and deliberated the vital role of technology to identify skills to support sustainability efforts in tourism destinations, as the long-term resilience of ASEAN’s tourism sector is closely linked to environmental and social sustainability. Meanwhile in ASEAN – Plus Three Tourism Meeting, it was noted that the Plus Three countries continued to implement measures and initiatives to revitalise the tourism sector by focussing their efforts on exploring ways to forge closer collaboration with stakeholders in the private sector. The meeting expressed appreciation for their contribution in implementing the ASEAN Plus Three Tourism Cooperation Work Plan 2021-2025 and encouraged to focus on capacity-building; sustainable tourism; digital transformation; tourism marketing; strengthening the role of micro-small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in 2023; and identifying new initiatives to be implemented in the years to come to complement and support the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025 as well as the Post-COVID-19 Recovery Plan for ASEAN Tourism. The meeting welcomed the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation in 2023, and looked forward to the ASEAN-Japan Tourism Ministers Special Dialogue to be held in the last quarter of 2023. The meeting also expressed appreciation to the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) and ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) for their support in strengthening people-to-people connectivity and enhancing cultural understanding through various tourism activities and projects as well as their contributions to the implementation of the ASEAN Plus Three Work Plan 2021-2025. The ASEAN-India Tourism meeting emphasised the need to continue supporting tourism MSMEs to promote equal opportunities to enhance jobs for local communities and supported activities under the ASEAN Promotional Chapter for Tourism (APCT) India to raise awareness of ASEAN destinations within the Indian market. The meeting also endorsed the ASEAN-India Tourism Work Plan 2023-2027 and reaffirmed its commitment to intensifying collaborative efforts among public, private, cross-national, and regional partnerships to accelerate tourism recovery in ASEAN and India. The ASEAN-Russia Tourism meeting highlighted the importance of advancing efforts to promote sustainable and inclusive tourism between ASEAN and Russia as reflected in the ASEAN-Russia Federation Tourism Work Plan 2022-2024. The meeting acknowledged the need to embrace and utilise new technologies to overcome challenges and build a more resilient society. In this regard, the meeting encouraged both sides to strengthen collaboration through exchanging expertise and best practices in utilising digital technology, reducing the digital divide by facilitating access to information and communication technologies, as well as developing skills to thrive in the digital economy within ASEAN and Russia.

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