61st Asean NTOs meeting engages in productive discussion

Saturday 18 Jan 2025

JOHOR BAHRU (Jan 16): The 61st Meeting of the Asean National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) held on Thursday, facilitated productive discussions with key Asean-associated entities and international organisations.

Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac) secretary-general Datuk Roslan Abdul Rahman said the key associated entities and organisations including Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) 2025; Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT); Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA); Asean Tourism Association (Aseanta); Asean Tourism Research Association (ATRA); US-Asean Business Council (US-ABC); EU-Asean Business Council (EU-ABC); Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata) and United Nation Tourism (UN Tourism).

“The meeting focused on reviewing the progress of the Asean Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) 2016-2025, planning of Post ATSP 2025, evaluating tourism performance and preparing for the upcoming Meeting of Asean Tourism Ministers on Jan 19.

“However, I am unable to disclose the outcomes of today's [Thursday's] meeting as these will be officially presented at the Meeting of Asean Tourism Ministers,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

Earlier he chaired the NTOs meeting, which was attended by representatives from Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

“We invite everyone to stay tuned, as ATF 2025 presents a golden opportunity for Malaysia to strengthen its leadership in the regional tourism sector, showcase its rich cultural heritage, and reaffirm its commitment to advancing Asean tourism,” he said.

Roslan also expressed confidence that the Asean Tourism Forum would serve as a catalyst for new opportunities, benefitting not only Asean member states but also the global tourism industry at large.

The 61st Meeting of the Asean NTOs was one of the programmes highlighted on the second day of the ATF 2025, an annual event that brings together representatives from the 10 Asean member states, the observer country Timor-Leste, Asean's Dialogue Partners — China, Japan, South Korea, India and Russia — as well as other international stakeholders and organisations.

Themed "Unity in Motion: Shaping Asean’s Tourism Tomorrow", the ATF 2025, held from Jan 15 to 20, serves as a platform for tourism professionals from across Southeast Asia to strengthen cooperation and foster sustainable growth within the region’s tourism sector.

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