ASEAN officials discuss plans to promote tourism

ASEAN officials discuss plans to promote tourism

KUALA LUMPUR (DPA): Southeast Asian tourism ministers and
senior officials met early this week to discuss how to boost
regional tourism through moves such as creating a special
immigration lane for visitors and increasing direct air links
with one another.

The one-day informal meeting of tourism ministers from the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday also
agreed to promote the region as a major conventions and sports
events venue, increase yachting and leisure boat activities, and
enhance joint cooperation programs.

The officials also agreed to upgrade the informal annual
meeting into a formal ASEAN tourism ministers' meeting which will
be held before June this year.

Speaking at a joint news conference after the meeting,
Malaysia's Culture, Tourism and Arts Minister Sabbaruddin Chik
said the ASEAN members agreed to open up special immigration
lanes for ASEAN visitors to encourage intra-regional travel.

Thailand already has such a lane at its Bangkok airport while
Malaysia will implement the proposal at its new airport to be
completed next year. Except for Vietnam, all other ASEAN
countries do not require visas for ASEAN tourists.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Prospective ASEAN members
Cambodia and Laos also attended Monday's meeting.

Referring to regional tourism cooperation programs,
Sabbaruddin said the proposed Trans-Asia railway project from
Singapore to southern China is an example of helping to develop
Indochina's Mekong Basin region as a tourist destination.

The ministerial meeting was held in conjunction with the four-
day ASEAN tourism forum - an annual convention of buyers and
sellers of tourism products and services which was opened Monday
night.